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In Michigan one eight seven seven 21 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: eight Hope and why, or text hope and Why to 22 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: four six seven three six nine In New York, Tennessee 23 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: redline is one eight nine seven eight nine. Visit www 24 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: dot one eight gambler dot net in West Virginia or 25 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: five to two four seven zero zero in Miomi. All right, 26 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: welcome to Lakers Tonight, presented by Famdual. Here at the 27 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 1: ball you Happy Sunday, everybody. I hope you all had 28 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: a great weekend. I got out and played some golf 29 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: yesterday for the first time in about a half year. 30 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: That went about as you could have expected. I've never 31 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: seen a sport like golf before, where like you grow 32 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: up and you're playing sports, and like, if you're playing 33 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: poorly or you're struggling, the answer is to play harder. 34 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: And golf could not be a war sport for you 35 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: to try to play harder, and that's just when things 36 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: start to get disastrous. But I had fun getting out there, 37 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: and I'm actually looking forward to summer. I'm getting all 38 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: of the cold weather. I'm very excited to talk some 39 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: NBA basketball today. The Lakers are done. It's over, and 40 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:15,239 Speaker 1: we're gonna do a little bit of a miniature eulogy 41 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: for them today, but we're not gonna dwell on them 42 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: for too long. We had an incredible showdown between Luca 43 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: don Chich and Janis Antenna Kopo in Milwaukee between the 44 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: MAVs and the Bucks. We're gonna break that game down 45 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: in its entirely, in its entirety, and for those of 46 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: you guys who stick around for the end, we're gonna 47 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about the Brooklyn Nets, and we're 48 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: gonna bring my guy Carson on to get into some 49 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: other stories around the NBA, But let's start with the Lakers. 50 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: That game today was frustrating for a lot of different reasons. 51 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: That came out with this incredible intense effort, right and 52 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: all you Laker fans you see right through that, because 53 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: we've seen it all season, this incredible catastrophic loss for 54 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: whatever reason leading to all of this due in gloom negativity, 55 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: and then they almost always come out with like a 56 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: weird intense energy in the next game, like a denial 57 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,119 Speaker 1: type of energy, but it's it's so fake because it's 58 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: not there when it actually has an opportunity to to 59 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: actually facilitate some sort of change in outcomes. That same 60 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: effort is not there when the when the Lakers desperately 61 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: need it. Instead, it comes when it's too late, Too little, 62 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: too late. Is kind of a theme for the season. 63 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: Like I said in the show the other day, it's 64 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: a theme that I I've seen consistently with the with 65 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: this Laker team, they have tried all season long to 66 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: tell us exactly who they are and what they're made of, 67 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: what their championship character is. And the outlier examples have 68 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: been the bits where the effort is sharp. The outlier 69 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: examples have been when they've gone down kicking and screaming 70 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,839 Speaker 1: rather than laying down. Those are the outliers. The far 71 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: more common scenario has been a lack of attention to detail, 72 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: a lack of intensity to go with all of the 73 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: self sabotage that we laid out in detail in Friday show. 74 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: And then, yeah, you've got a little bit of a 75 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: second half lead. I think they were up by seven 76 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: at one point in that third quarter, but you knew 77 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: what was gonna happen. I was talking with my producers 78 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: during the halftime show and we were like, what's the 79 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: over under for points allowed by the Lakers in the 80 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: second half, and we put it at sixty three and 81 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: a half, just kind of having fun with the guys talking, 82 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: and they gave up sixty seven, and they gave up 83 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 1: sixty four in the second half the other day against 84 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: the Pelicans. When the chips are down and this team 85 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: actually needs to get stops, they can't. Why Because it's 86 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: hard to get stops in the NBA, regardless of your personnel. 87 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: There's a level of of effort and focus, but there's 88 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: also a level of like habits and instincts, and you 89 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: have to build those. We talked about this with the 90 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,799 Speaker 1: Memphis Grizzlies the other day. The reason why the Grizzlies 91 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: are defending so well is because from the top down, culturally, 92 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 1: within the franchise, there is an expectation to do your 93 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: job within the defensive responsibilities of the team. So regardless 94 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: of whether one guy's in or one guy's out, Jaren 95 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: Jackson out doesn't matter. Jaren Jackson's been like Anthony Davis 96 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: for that team doesn't matter. They without him, they're still 97 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: getting stops. It's because culturally they have built that out 98 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: as part of the team, and that's that culture did 99 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: used to exist with the Lakers and the first two 100 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: years of the Lebron and a D era. That's why 101 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: when Anthony Davis went out, they did get a ton 102 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: of stops. But this season it's been utterly gone, and 103 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: that's been a huge part of why when the chips 104 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: are down and they actually need to get stops, they 105 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: haven't been able to. And then the Russ A d 106 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: pairing is an interesting pairing for a couple of different reasons. 107 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: We saw this a lot early in the season when 108 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: they lost those two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder. 109 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: You saw them immediately put um Lou Dort on Russell 110 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,799 Speaker 1: Westbrook and you saw them put uh. I can't remember 111 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:54,919 Speaker 1: who it was that they put a big, strong forward 112 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: on Anthony Davis and uh, they just switched the screens 113 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: every time. And because those guys were quicker than because 114 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: lu Dort Russell Westber could not bully him physically, and 115 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: because Anthony Davis doesn't have a quick first step, turned 116 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: him both into jump shooters and they just couldn't create 117 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: shots at the end of the game. And so that 118 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: was the reason why I wasn't optimistic even when the 119 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: score looked good today is because you knew at any 120 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: given moment, Denver was gonna lock it, and as soon 121 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: as they did, what was inevitably going to happen is 122 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: they weren't going to be able to get stops because 123 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: they're not a disciplined defensive team, and they wouldn't be 124 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,479 Speaker 1: able to score because Russ puts up numbers. We're gonna 125 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about Russ here in a minute. 126 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: Russ is gonna put up his numbers, but on key 127 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: possessions and important moments of games. He's a guard that's 128 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: very limited, and so if you can take away his 129 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: ability to just get straight line drives to the basket, 130 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: you can he doesn't really have a counter and Anthony Davis, 131 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: you can turn him into a guy who has to 132 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: shoot over the top. So I didn't believe, even when 133 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: this game was competitive, that they had much of a 134 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: chance to win. And that's just the reality of their situation. 135 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: It kind of felt like a waste to have Anthony 136 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,799 Speaker 1: Davis out there. He's in the first quarter looking amazing, 137 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: because Anthony Davis isn't a amazing basketball player. He's out 138 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,799 Speaker 1: there in the first quarter, subs out of the game, 139 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: and he's got his shoe off on the sideline. Throughout 140 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: the entire second half, he's limping around on the floor, 141 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: and I and and I again. I admire Anthony Davis's 142 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: competitiveness for wanting to be out there with this guys, 143 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: for wanting to try. I admire that. But it's time. 144 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: It's time to acknowledge the writing on the wall. I 145 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: understand Lebron James has to play in two more games 146 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: to qualify for the scoring title. I've talked about this 147 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: in detail on the show. I have no issue with 148 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: Lebron playing in those two games. This guy is a 149 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: proven winner in this league. If he wants to establish statistical, 150 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: you know, markers for his career, I don't have any 151 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: problem with that. Get Lebron Is two games in, get 152 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: him out, get Anthony Davis out. There's absolutely no point 153 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: in having them out there with these injuries to the 154 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: extent that it could risk something further, Because what's your 155 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: worst case scenario now. Worst case scenario now is you 156 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: lose the rest of of games this season, you missed 157 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: the playing tournament, tournament entirely, entire in its entirety, and 158 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: you go into the off season. Then what happens Leron 159 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: and A D get healthy, so May and June they 160 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: get to rest up. Then all summer long they get 161 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: to work on their games. Meanwhile, the Lakers have an 162 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: opportunity with their front office in ownership group to try 163 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: to turn over the roster, get rid of as much 164 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 1: of that negativity that's been plaguing this team, and try 165 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: to reset for next year. And then you go into 166 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: training camp in October and it's a fresh start and 167 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: maybe you can undo the damage that you did this 168 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: year to the reputation of franchise and all of the 169 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: bad taste that you put in the in the in 170 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: the mouth of the fans this year. That's what you 171 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: can do. That's the worst case scenario if if you 172 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: get these guys out of the lineup, but making Anthony 173 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,319 Speaker 1: Davis play with a bad wheel, having Lebron play more 174 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: than the two games he wants to play to get 175 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: his scoring title on a bad wheel, that is it's 176 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: a dangerous risk. And we talked about this a lot 177 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: on the show, like like you know, it's with Derrick 178 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: Rose in two thousand twelve, the underlying story to the 179 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: A C. L Terror was he was dealing with a 180 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: bunch of foot and ankle stuff all season. You have 181 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: a power line in your body when you explode and 182 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: when you land on the ground, you have to absorb 183 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: impact and you do that with your whole body. And 184 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: so when one part of your body is hurting for 185 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: whatever reason, you start to compensate by putting pressure on 186 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: other parts of your body. And that's where other more 187 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:27,959 Speaker 1: serious injuries can happen. So again, if you if if 188 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: this team, like if this team had a realistic path 189 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: to try to make something happen, then by all means, 190 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: I get it. That's that's where that's where it's about 191 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 1: pushing your chips in the middle and going for it. 192 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: But ever since that Pelicans game, when we saw Frank 193 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: Vogel just throw in the trash everything that he learned 194 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: about what this team was good at and what this 195 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: team was bad at, I'm not gonna get into that 196 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,199 Speaker 1: again because I went into it at length on Friday night. 197 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: But Frank Vogel killed my belief in this team on 198 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: Friday night, and I believe the same thing happened to Lebron. 199 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: That's why he decided not to play. But at this point, 200 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: acknowledge that that light of the tunnel no longer exists, 201 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: and understand that there's more risk than there is reward 202 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: having those guys out there. I admire Anthony Davis for 203 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: what he did today. I just don't see the point 204 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: anymore here. It's time to get him out of the lineup. 205 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: It's time to get Lebron his two games that he needs. 206 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: Those are great, great if you're looking for great betting opportunities. 207 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: Lebron's next two games, bet his over on the points 208 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: because he's gonna go out there and he's going to 209 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 1: gun to score. It'll be really interesting to see which 210 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,079 Speaker 1: games he plays in. I don't see the point in 211 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: playing him against Phoenix. Maybe Oklahoma City, maybe Denver. It'll 212 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:37,559 Speaker 1: be interesting to see which games he plays in. But 213 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: I think he's gonna get his last two in and 214 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 1: then he's gonna be done. So as far as like 215 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: a eulogy goes for the Lakers, I want to get 216 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: into this in a lot of detail at some point, 217 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: probably this off season, or maybe if we run into 218 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: a little break at some point, but I want to 219 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: you know, I've got to meet a lot of Lakers 220 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: fans during my time covering this team. And uh one 221 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: of him in particular, Deminrangula, good friend of mine. He 222 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: used to blog for Silver Screen and Roll. Now he's 223 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: more of just like a figurehead within the Laker fan base, 224 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 1: and I've appreciated his honesty this season with the way 225 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: that he's covered the team. There's a lot of like, 226 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,359 Speaker 1: there's a lot of like apology, a lot of apologists 227 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: out there that are Lakers fans. And I don't have 228 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 1: any issue with people who are apologists. It's just to me, 229 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: it's it's not authentic, and I'm always drawn to people 230 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: who are more authentic, people that are more willing to 231 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: call things the way they see him. He wrote an 232 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: article this morning. He broke out of writing retirement and 233 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: wrote an article this morning talking about how this was 234 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: basically his least favorite Lakers team that he's ever rooted for, 235 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: and in it, he talked about how the Laker franchise 236 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: in general is obsessed with star power and when they're 237 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 1: making their decisions, and it extends all the way from 238 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: the top down. It's very frequently not about what uh 239 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: what qualifications a person has or what the specific job needs, 240 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: but it's rather more of like a parochial like we're 241 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: we're friends, or we're family, or we have a loyalty 242 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: to you for one reason or another. It's a really 243 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: strange dynamic that surrounds the franchise, and in a weird way, 244 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: it has poisoned everything that they've tried to accomplish in 245 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: the last couple of years. Look down the roster, like 246 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: your look down the the organization. You've got Genie Buss, 247 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: who's literally an owner who inherited the franchise, right. And 248 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: then you go to Rob Polinka, your president of basketball Operations. 249 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: This is a guy who literally was given the job 250 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,839 Speaker 1: because he was Kobe's agent. He's far and away one 251 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: of the bottom probably a bottom third GM in the 252 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: league in terms of his willingness to put in the work, 253 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: is willing to willingness to dive into the weeds of 254 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: scouting talent around the NBA, watching tons of NBA basketball 255 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: so that you understand what's working and what's not working 256 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: that's not his strength of his. And then going down 257 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: to the coaching staff, you've got Frank Vogel, who's literally 258 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 1: in the job because they weren't willing to pay the 259 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,680 Speaker 1: better coach, which was Tylu And he's still in the 260 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: job right now. The only reason they didn't fire him, 261 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: in my opinion, is because they're not wanting to pay 262 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: him and he's under contract, which will be a whole 263 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: other thing that they're gonna have to deal with this offseason. 264 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 1: But it extends down the roster instead of looking at 265 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: how you won the title in which was Lebron James 266 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis playing at the peak of their powers with 267 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 1: really high quality role players around, and these role players 268 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: were filling very specific responsibilities that needed to be filled 269 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: around Lebron James and Anthony Davis. But instead of acknowledging that, 270 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: which they basically fell backwards into. They wanted Kawhi Leonard. 271 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: Now Kawhi Leonards so good that it might have worked 272 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,439 Speaker 1: out anyway, but they felt they kind of fell asked 273 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: backwards into the right role players in two thousand twenty. 274 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: But ever since then, all they've done is undo that 275 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: because of their obsession with that star power, with that familiarity. 276 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: It's not find a good three and D guy to 277 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: come into play role. It's former Laker Trevor is Uh. 278 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: You know, it's not find a a player that allows 279 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 1: you to facilitate more Lebron and a D at the 280 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: four five lineups. Instead, it's here comes to White Howard again, 281 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 1: because we remember he was on a team that we 282 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: used to have when we won the title. It's a 283 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: lot of here's Avery Bradley, here's familiarity, here's older veteran players, 284 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: guys that we have this, this, this you know, sentimental 285 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: attachment to Carmelo Anthony. I talked a lot about him 286 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: on Twitter today because he hasn't shot the ball well 287 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: basically for the last two thirds of the season, and 288 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: with all of the issues that you have with him defensively, 289 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: it just doesn't make sense for him to be on 290 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: the court. But if you really trim all the fat 291 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: and you look back and you see that they have 292 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: these two core pieces and Lebron James and Anthony Davis, 293 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: that are still very much the right core pieces that 294 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: you want if you're gonna try to win a championship. 295 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: But everything around that, those decisions are being made with 296 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: the wrong priorities. They're being made with the prior pies 297 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: of star power and familiarity, in nepotism and all of 298 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: those things that I just talked about that has to 299 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: be killed. You guys have to go check out Demand's article. 300 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: I tweeted it out earlier. You can find it if 301 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: you scroll down. I loved his authenticity there. I love 302 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: the way that he painted a very accurate picture in 303 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: my opinion of the way that this this is a 304 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: top down poisoning of this franchise. And it's really discouraging 305 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: to me because as we look into the into the future, 306 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: you know, there are a half dozen gms in the 307 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: NBA that if I gave them the Lakers this offseason, 308 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: I would feel utterly and supremely confident that they could 309 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: restore what happened in That's Hot Yugerie for example. That's 310 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: Hot Eugeria had the keys to the Lakers this summer. 311 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: I believe they would win the championship next season if 312 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: Lebron James and Anthony Davis stayed healthy. That's how doable 313 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: this is. But Laker fans, do you feel like it 314 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: can be done with Rob Polinka? Do you feel like 315 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: it can be done with Genie Buss? Do you? I don't. 316 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: I know it can be done, but chances are if 317 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: I told you one of two scenarios was gonna go on, 318 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: that they were gonna learn from their mistakes and do 319 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: everything that they needed to do to restore the type 320 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 1: of vibe and culture around the Lakers, or if they 321 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: were going to continue to make the same types of 322 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: mistakes of nepotism and familiarity and cheapness and all of 323 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: those things. Which of those two scenarios do you think 324 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: is more likely? It's probably the latter. And so that's discouraging. 325 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: And I feel really bad for Laker fans for that 326 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: in that respect, And and and this entire season has 327 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: just been a just unending line of self sabotage and 328 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: and I don't blame Lakers fans for being frustrated. Before 329 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: we move on to the Lakers, I wanted to talk 330 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: about Russell Westbrook for a second, because he's actually playing 331 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: okay as of over the last month or so. And 332 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: you know, Carson had surprised me with the postgame quote 333 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: in the Friday Show, and I talked about how, like, 334 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: I don't blame the Laker fans for being upset because 335 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: Russ has sucked this year. And it's a really strong word. 336 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 1: And to be clear, like Russ doesn't suck at basketball 337 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: in a vacuum. When I say that, I'm just authentically 338 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: reacting to a quote that frustrates me in the moment, 339 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: like it's annoying to me, Russ that you continue to 340 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: point the finger at Laker fans. It's not their fault, 341 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:26,880 Speaker 1: it's yours that things are the way that they are. 342 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: But in terms of where Russ does actually suck quote unquote, 343 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: and forget about the strong word in terms of Russ 344 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: not living up to potential, it all has to do 345 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,479 Speaker 1: with the fact that when you put into context what 346 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: he makes in his salary, what the goal of the 347 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook trade was, and what they brought in Russ 348 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 1: to do, and how the results have looked, you have 349 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: not lived up to that. It has been a catastrophic failure. 350 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: And more often than not, I have in Russ fans 351 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: are are arguably the most national fan base that I've 352 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: ever come into contact with. And that's one of the 353 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: many reasons why I'm so excited for this experiment to 354 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: be over. The Russ fans will always show you here's 355 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: an amazing donkey had, Here's an amazing box score that 356 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: he had. Here's the game where he went thirteen from 357 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: from nineteen from the field and he made three out 358 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: of five threes, and he had thirty points, eleven rebounds, 359 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: and nine assists, And they always point to those sorts 360 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 1: of things as these like gotcha moments, as recovering Russ 361 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: and and it bothers me because I would hope that 362 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 1: at this point we would be above that level of 363 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 1: analysis when we're when we're when we're taking a closer 364 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 1: look at basketball players in the way that they impact 365 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: winning guys. If you want box score watching and that 366 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: kind of thing, you gotta go somewhere else. I'm not 367 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: that type of basketball now analyst. I get into the weeds. 368 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: I like to. You know, I've been around the game 369 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: my entire life. I live and breathe the game every day. 370 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: I have a different view of it. There are thirty 371 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: nine guys in the NBA right now that average over 372 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: twenty points per game? Are they all superstars? Are they 373 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: all amazing scorers? Or are there guys that put up 374 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 1: stats that are less impactful than others? We'd all agree 375 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: on that, right, Like do you think Zach Levine is 376 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 1: as good as Kevin Durant because their counting stats are different, 377 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: But they're not that much different, you know what I'm saying? 378 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: Like there's there is a whole other level to the 379 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: way that we in that that a player that can 380 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: that that a player can impact basketball. When I was 381 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:27,719 Speaker 1: playing at a CU my last year playing in college, 382 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,919 Speaker 1: uh an ai A has really weird eligibility rules. So 383 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: we had a thirty one year old point guard and 384 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: a twenty nine year old shooting guard. I was twenty 385 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: two and I was one of the younger players on 386 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 1: the team. The thirty one year old point guard was 387 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: an incredible human being that I met. His name was 388 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: Taliboo Dot you want All America. He was an All 389 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: American the year that I played with him at a 390 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: c U, and I'll never forget the way that he 391 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: went out of his way to try to teach me 392 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: while I was there about the intricacies of winning basketball games. 393 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: We would play in open gyms before the season started, 394 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: and I would score a lot, and I would talked 395 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: ship because I was a little punk at age twenty two, 396 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: and and to leave would always be like, you'd get 397 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: out my case about how I wasn't seeing the bigger 398 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: picture of what was happening on the court. And so 399 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: what he did is he started inviting me to these 400 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: private three on three runs that we would do at 401 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: the school and in these three on three runs, you know, 402 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: like he'd put me on his team, and then he 403 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: would try to teach me about the little things that 404 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: won basketball games. For instance, like if if there was 405 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: a play where I I helped on a drive, but 406 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: then I closed out to the three point line and 407 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: chase the guy and funneled into the next help and 408 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,160 Speaker 1: then came up like if I did it right, he would, 409 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: you know, tell me I did it right. But then 410 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: like if the next possession I didn't close out or 411 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,360 Speaker 1: I missed the box out, he would start screaming and 412 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: yelling at me, just literally ripping me a new one 413 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: for blowing a responsibility. And the lesson he was trying 414 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: to teach me was that winning basketball games is about 415 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 1: so much more than making a shot, getting a dunk, 416 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: blocking a shot, locking one guy up in ile ation, 417 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: or all of the things that Russell Westbrook is obsessed 418 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 1: with on the basketball court. To leave was teaching me 419 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: that you won basketball games on the margins. You won 420 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: basketball games by never missing a box out, by approaching 421 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: every close out like it was the one that could 422 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 1: win you or lose you the game. He and we 423 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: would run a pick and roll and he would get 424 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: a lay up out of it, and then on the 425 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: next possession, I take a step back three and he'd 426 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 1: starts screaming at me again, why did you go away 427 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,640 Speaker 1: from something that just worked? Don't make the game more 428 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: complicated than it needs to be. This is how you win. 429 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: You win by understanding what's working and replicating it, understanding 430 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: what's not working and not replicating it. And you know, 431 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: I'll never forget those lessons that to leave taught me. 432 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:43,880 Speaker 1: It changed who I was as a basketball player. Those 433 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: are little details that go so far beyond box scores. 434 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: And what frustrates me about the Russell Westbrook experience is 435 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: there's always so much focus on this is this amazing 436 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 1: donkey had, Here's this incredible box score that he had, 437 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: Here's this incredible assist that he had, or things along 438 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: those lines. Russ is utterly devoid of the attention of detail, 439 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:11,360 Speaker 1: attention to detail that defines winning basketball players. And one 440 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: of the most frustrating things for me this season has 441 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,879 Speaker 1: been me watching these games, watching them twice most of 442 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 1: the time, and then having people try to convince me 443 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: that he's actually been great when he hasn't been. And 444 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,959 Speaker 1: and I stand by that, and like I I'm happy 445 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:29,199 Speaker 1: that over the course of the last month he's being 446 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: able to have a little bit more positive impact, so 447 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: at least it's not as much of a disaster it 448 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:34,879 Speaker 1: was in the middle of the season. There's a lot 449 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: of negativity surrounding that, and that got really frustrating. But 450 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: that's why I'm done with the Russell Westbrook experience. That's 451 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,880 Speaker 1: why I'm ready for him to be somewhere else. It's 452 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 1: simply because that disconnect between productivity that actually impacts winning 453 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: basketball games and box score watching and highlight watching, that 454 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: disconnect is something I'm sick of, and it's to me, 455 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 1: it's bad for discourse and the game, and I'm just 456 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: ready for it to be gone. I'm ready for him 457 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: to be on a bad team somewhere where he can 458 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: put up all these crazy numbers and I don't have 459 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: to argue with people about whether or not it impacts winning. 460 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: That's where I'm at with it. And again, like it's 461 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 1: Russ doesn't suck at basketball. He's a very good basketball player. 462 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: He's one of the foy best basketball players in the world. 463 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: But he's he's vastly underachieved compared to what his contract 464 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: would dictate and what the trade and what the trade 465 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: needed to produce in order for this team to succeed. 466 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 1: And I have absolutely no issue at all whatsoever with 467 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: Lakers fans expressing their frustration about that. For those of 468 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: you who are just joining us, this is Lakers Tonight, 469 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: presented by Fandel here at the volume. We're gonna move 470 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: on to the MAVs and the Bucks. This was an 471 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 1: unbelievable basketball game and it was a case study and 472 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: what makes Luca don Chich in my opinion, a top 473 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: tier superstar and a player that very well, at one 474 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: point in the next couple of years, could be considered 475 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,880 Speaker 1: the best player in the world. Talked about this a lot, 476 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: and after the Nets Bucks games the other game the 477 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: other day. There's a difference between a overpowering, brute force 478 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: basketball player and a surgical basketball player, and everybody's kind 479 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: of in different spots on that spectrum, right Like Lebron 480 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: is kind of in the middle. He's surgical in a 481 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: lot of ways, but he also has that brute force 482 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: element to it. Kevin Durant is very surgical, but there's 483 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: this physical tools element to him because of how tall 484 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: he is and how how he could shoot over the 485 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 1: top of people. And then you have Janice, who's very 486 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: much more on the brute force side of things. He's 487 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: just a complete physical freak of nature. He's not unskilled, 488 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: but that's not the way that he impacts winning. He 489 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,439 Speaker 1: impacts the winning by use of brute force. And Luca 490 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: just was an absolute savant on the court today. He 491 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. I 492 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: wanted to get into some of the ways that that 493 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: he dissected the Bucks offense to start that game. So 494 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: there's an old there's an old saying. I can't remember 495 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: if it was John would In or someone else, but 496 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,959 Speaker 1: there's there's a saying that coaches use all the time 497 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,239 Speaker 1: around the game that the ball always moves faster than 498 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: a player. So no matter how athletic a team is, 499 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: no matter how much of a freak Janice is, he 500 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,439 Speaker 1: can't move as fast as any of you guys listening 501 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: could throw a basketball. The basketball moves around faster than 502 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: any player can, and so that's what makes extremely gifted 503 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,400 Speaker 1: passers like Luka done so dangerous. I love the way 504 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: he worked through the coverage progressions of the Bucks early 505 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 1: in that game to get easy shots. So it's like 506 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 1: first possession of the game, they're using a drop coverage. 507 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 1: You've got Brooke Lopez under the basket. Drew Holiday chases 508 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: Luca don chit over the top of the pick and roll, 509 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,120 Speaker 1: and Janice has helps it out at the strong side 510 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,919 Speaker 1: corner and kind of reaches in and and grabs Luca's arm. 511 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:46,119 Speaker 1: He just feels the arm there. It goes right up 512 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: through it, draws the foul and actually makes a floater 513 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: to get an hand one. Then on the next possession 514 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,199 Speaker 1: they actually send uh Lopez higher on the drop and 515 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: Luca just easily hits a pocket pass to Dwight Powell 516 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 1: who makes it easy swing to Dorian Phineas Smith in 517 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 1: the corner who tacks the close out and they get 518 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: it done then on the Then on the next possession 519 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: they go to did Jalen Brunson and Lucas kind of 520 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: sitting off the ball. Lucas just patiently waiting on the wing. 521 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: He catches the ball, uses a pump fake to get 522 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,640 Speaker 1: Drew Holiday to chase him, gets him on his hip, 523 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: works into the lane just patient enough until Brook Lopez 524 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: steps up and as soon as brook Lopez steps up, 525 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: there's the drop pass for Dwight Pale, there's another dunk. 526 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:27,440 Speaker 1: Then on the next pick and roll, Drew Holiday and 527 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,679 Speaker 1: Drew Drew Lopez or Drew Holliday gets stuck on the screen, 528 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 1: and now Brook Lopez is on Luca on a switch 529 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: and Luca just beats him off the dribble and gets 530 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,159 Speaker 1: a lay. So we had three completely different type of 531 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 1: coverage scenarios where he gets a basket out of it. 532 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 1: Then on the next time, you know, all NBA teams 533 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,199 Speaker 1: want to try to keep picking rolls to two on 534 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 1: two coverage, that's the whole point of that, so you 535 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 1: don't have to send help. But lucas killing him in 536 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: two on two coverage, so they send help as soon 537 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 1: as he sends help. I believe it is Chris middle 538 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 1: Tune steps in boom easy swing pass, Jalen Brunson makes 539 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: a three, So in the next possession they don't ring help, 540 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: and so Luca just kind of methodically works his way 541 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 1: into the lane and as soon as Drew's on his 542 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: hip and as soon as Brook Lopez commits, it's a 543 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: wraparound pass that hits Dwight Powell right under the basket 544 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: for a dunk time out for for the Bucks, and 545 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: it's fifteen and thirteen and I'm literally sitting there and 546 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 1: I'm like, this Bucks team just got destroyed the other night. 547 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 1: They're coming out there playing extremely hard defense. They have 548 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,439 Speaker 1: Jannie on the floor, they have all this athleticism, and 549 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,960 Speaker 1: it just doesn't matter because lucas just one step ahead 550 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: of all of their coverages. He has a counter to 551 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 1: everything that they do. It was truly amazing. And then 552 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: Luca comes out of the game and they bring in 553 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: Spencer Dinwoy And I've talked a lot about him on 554 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 1: the show recently, but Spencer Dinwood, he I know, he 555 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: hasn't shot the ball particularly well at all the time 556 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: over the last couple of years. I cut him some 557 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:48,199 Speaker 1: slack there because anytime you're coming back from an a 558 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: c L injury and it was just partial terror, but 559 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 1: he was out for a long time, it's hard to 560 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: get back into that groove. He's really playing good basketball. 561 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:59,360 Speaker 1: Blade He had three massive threes there in that third 562 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: quarter that kind or second quarter that kind of restored 563 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:04,200 Speaker 1: because the Bucks actually ended up going up by I 564 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: believe ten at one point, and he just made a 565 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: couple of big shots that got them in the game. 566 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: That Jalen Brunson, Spencer Dinwood, the ability to spell Luca 567 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: Donches so that he doesn't run out of gas is 568 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: what allows Luca to control those games. And then we 569 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: get to crunch time and this was amazing. It's the 570 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: end of the game and Lucas literally calling for Joannice 571 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: on a switch. And he's been doing this a lot lately. J. J. 572 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 1: Reddick actually talked to him about it on his podcast, 573 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: this desire to call out stars on switches. He did 574 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 1: it to Lebron, he did it this step. Even did 575 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: it to KD a little bit in Brooklyn a couple 576 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 1: of weeks ago. But I thought I was sitting there. 577 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,719 Speaker 1: Do you guys remember in the in the game the 578 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: Bucks Nets game the other night, how I was talking 579 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: about how Janice was doing these unbelievable vicious closeouts on 580 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: on Seth Curry to take away his easy opportunities, and 581 00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: literally like there was one where Seth Curry caught the 582 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: ball in the winging and Janice was double teaming Kevin 583 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: Durant and Kevin Durant through a pass to Seth Curry 584 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: and Janice still chased him off the line and then 585 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: Seth relocates all the way to the other wing and 586 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: Janice chases him off the line. There it's these frightening 587 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:16,720 Speaker 1: clothes outs that scare shooters. Lucas saw this. He was 588 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: making these passes to the week side corner and Janice 589 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: was chasing guys off the line. He was able to 590 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: be in two places as once at once because he's 591 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: a freak talent. And so Luca starts calling on Joannice 592 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: on the switches and it was so smart because he 593 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: knows he can't score easily on Janice, but what he 594 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 1: could do with the honest was get him on his hit. 595 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: Luca does this move where he gets the ball in 596 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: his left hand and he and he just does a 597 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 1: hard dribble step back right. You've seen it a hundred times, 598 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 1: but he does it out of a hesitation, so he 599 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: can always default out of it. He can kind of 600 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: just do that in and out holding the heavy and 601 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: if you're off of him, he'll go into the shot, 602 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: and if you're not off of him, he can just 603 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: keep dribbling. Well, he was using that move on Jannie 604 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 1: to get him to step up and then quick pound 605 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: through the legs now honest is on his hip and 606 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: Luca weighs two fifty pounds. So Luca, even though he's 607 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: smaller than your honest, he is physically stout enough to 608 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: kind of keep him on his hip and he would 609 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 1: like slowly work with Joannice on his hip into the 610 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 1: lane and then as soon as the help came, then 611 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 1: he make the week side corner pass. Except for now 612 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: Janice isn't the one closing out and bam, they got 613 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: back to back massive threes in the fourth quarter, one 614 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: for Reggie Bullock and one for Dorry and Phinnie Smith 615 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 1: on that exact same type of play. And I'm literally 616 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: sitting there watching this. I'm like, this guy is unbelievable. 617 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:36,960 Speaker 1: It's there's he's so far ahead of everything that's happening defensively, 618 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: and he's so different from James Harden. Too frequently he 619 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 1: gets compared to James Harden. I he's so different in 620 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: my opinion because he's a scoring threat from every single 621 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: spot on the floor rather than just a handful of 622 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: specific spots that are James Harden's comfort zones. And as 623 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: much as James Harden is a good pastor, James Harden 624 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: is a very good passer, But Luca is that top 625 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: tier type of playmaker up there with the Lebrons and 626 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 1: the yokich Is and the CP three's of the world. 627 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: There's another level to it, and his ability to make 628 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 1: those types of reads and those types of decisions put 629 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 1: him on an entirely different level. In my opinion, I 630 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 1: was blown away by looking too that. It's hard to 631 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: say whether or not he'll ever be the best player 632 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: in the league because the league is so staffed. That's 633 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: a complicated conversation. You've got Janice doing what he's doing. 634 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: Who knows what's gonna happen with Yo kitchen Bead over 635 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: the next couple of years. I'm not as high on 636 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 1: them as other people, but Luca on any given night 637 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 1: is capable about playing the best players in the world. 638 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: Look at the role Janice has been on. Joannice literally 639 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: just outplayed Joel Embiid for a win and outplayed Kevin 640 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: Durant for a win in the last week. Unbelievable stuff 641 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 1: from Jannice. He's at the best level he's ever been 642 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 1: playing at and Luca was better than him today on 643 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: his home floor. At the end of that game, Yannice 644 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: got a bunch of points in garbage time, when the 645 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 1: game was over, when the game was at that last 646 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: time out, when the when the I think the uh, 647 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: the Mavericks were by nine with about three minutes left, 648 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: the only at twenty two points. And I'm not under 649 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: cutting jannat by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just 650 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 1: saying that Luca is that type of dude. He's the 651 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 1: type of dude that can stare cowhile ard in the 652 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: face and be like, I'm better than you. And he 653 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: did that in the playoffs twice. And he can do 654 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: the same thing to Honest, you can do the same 655 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: thing to Lebron. He can do the same thing to everybody. 656 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: Doesn't mean he's better. It just means that he's on 657 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 1: that level, which gives them a puncher's chance to beat 658 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: any of the guys that are at that level. Moving 659 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: on to the Bucks A little bit. Part of the 660 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 1: reason why Joanna struggled so much as something that I've 661 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: been talking about a lot on the show recently. The 662 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 1: MAVs are very good, scramble and recover type of team. 663 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: They don't have great defensive personnelit We talked about this 664 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: a lot on the show but they're extremely good at 665 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: thriving in the chaos that comes from doubling and recovering. Right, 666 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: so they whenever they find themselves in a matchup that 667 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: they don't like, they just send multiple bodies at a guy. 668 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 1: And what they did such an amazing job of with 669 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: the Honest today is take away his super easy opportunities. 670 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 1: I talked about this against the Nets and the other day. 671 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: When you honest would catch the ball in single coverage 672 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: and have a thin, wiry defender on him that doesn't 673 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: really have any chance to to guard him, he would 674 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 1: just quick rip through, go to the rim, get a 675 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: dunk or get out and he and it was like 676 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,480 Speaker 1: all night long, he was getting one of those every 677 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:19,200 Speaker 1: five or six possessions. And those are more defensive breakdowns 678 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: than anything else. I know that he's being guarded, but 679 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 1: you can't guard Yanice one on one, not in space 680 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: at least. And so what the the MAVs did an 681 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 1: extremely good job of tonight is they consistently got back 682 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: in transition and set their wall. But every time that 683 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: Janice caught the ball, he was playing in a crowd. 684 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: If he would have wanted to do his rip through 685 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 1: to the right or to the left on Dorian Phinnias Smith. 686 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 1: There's another defender just staying their way all game long, 687 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 1: and as a result, you were able to take away 688 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: his easy stuff. And when you take away jannice Is 689 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 1: easy stuff, the game does get a little bit harder 690 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: for him. It's not that it doesn't mean he's not 691 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 1: a superstar. It's just the difference between him being forty 692 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: plus point of game absolute superman and him looking more 693 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: human is take the way zizy stuff get back in transition, 694 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 1: build the wall, make him play in a crowd. You 695 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 1: will make him a beatable opponent. How does Luca outplay Janice? 696 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,960 Speaker 1: It's not just Luca and everything that he can do 697 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: with the basketball in his hands on offense, it's also 698 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 1: Dallas in their discipline on defense and their willingness. It's 699 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 1: hard to spread back in transition in Milwaukee, when that 700 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 1: athletic team is flying up and down the floor, it 701 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: is hard on every single possession to set dig defenders 702 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: on both sides, to take away easy driving lanes, and 703 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: to rotate out on the backside. It's difficult to do 704 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: what they do, but they're so bought into it and 705 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 1: they do it so well. And it was really really impressive. 706 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what this means for Dallas. I can 707 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:44,960 Speaker 1: I go up and down with them because they have 708 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:49,360 Speaker 1: you know, their defense is a little gimmicky, and I 709 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,000 Speaker 1: think it's easier in these one game settings in the 710 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,000 Speaker 1: regular season to make up for a lack of defensive 711 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,920 Speaker 1: personnel with scheming, but I think it becomes infinitely harder 712 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,480 Speaker 1: in a postseason series when it's more of a chess match. 713 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: All I know is, don't count out this Luca guy, 714 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:07,799 Speaker 1: because a lot of those same defensive problems existed against 715 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: the Clippers in the last two years, and he had 716 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,440 Speaker 1: no problem putting that series on the break both times. 717 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 1: So gun to my head, I look at this situation 718 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 1: and I see Luca playing better than he's ever played, 719 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: having a better defensive concept behind him than he's ever had, 720 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: and another backup playmaker and spencer Dinwodie that's probably better 721 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:29,960 Speaker 1: than Jalen Bronson, but also having Jalen Brunson there as well. 722 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: There's it's just a much better version of the team 723 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,800 Speaker 1: last year that damn near beat the l A Clippers 724 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:38,879 Speaker 1: with Khi Leonard, the same l A Clippers that without 725 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: Kawhi Leonard made it to the conference finals. That's a 726 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 1: significant that's a significant indicator of what this team may 727 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: or may not be capable of. One last note on 728 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,800 Speaker 1: that game in particular, and this is on the Bucks. 729 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 1: They have so many physical advantages, they have to find 730 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:59,359 Speaker 1: a better way to try to make them pay for that. 731 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: I don't know if that's being a little less concerned 732 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: with your transition defense and maybe crashing the glass more. 733 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:10,279 Speaker 1: I don't know if that's kind of getting out of 734 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:14,400 Speaker 1: your offense to run more actions directly targeting Luca to 735 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: maybe try to fatigue him a little bit. They did 736 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:18,799 Speaker 1: that a little bit in the first half with isolations 737 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:21,360 Speaker 1: with Drew Holiday, and they actually got some good stuff 738 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: out of it. Maybe that's what you need to do. 739 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:25,319 Speaker 1: There's a little bit more of that and try to 740 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:27,799 Speaker 1: get Luca out of his rhythm by making him play 741 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,400 Speaker 1: more defense than he wants to. There, you just gotta 742 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:32,360 Speaker 1: have to find that. Those are the counters that I 743 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 1: would go to if I was the Buck. Super interesting game, though, 744 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: and I I'm really thankful that, you know, with Lebron 745 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: kind of exiting this arena here in the next few years, 746 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,760 Speaker 1: I'm really thankful that we have an awesome new crop 747 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: of stars coming up and Luca, Luca and Jannas are 748 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: gonna be really fun to watch over the next few years. 749 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:52,720 Speaker 1: And I'm very thankful that Johanna didn't end up in Dallas. 750 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: That was a big potential outcome there when things were 751 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 1: getting dicey with the Bucks and signing that Supermax extension. 752 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:03,840 Speaker 1: It would have been like two seventeen Warriors, ask with 753 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 1: the level of certainties surrounding outcomes in the NBA, if 754 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 1: you got those two on the same team, just just 755 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: unbelievable stuff. Fandel Sports Book is an official sports betting 756 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,760 Speaker 1: partner of the NBA, and with Fandel same game parlays, 757 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 1: you can turn little bets into big pay days. Like 758 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: on Tuesday when the Lakers play, you can bet for 759 00:37:18,120 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 1: the Lakers to lose, but take Lebron's points over because 760 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 1: you know he's chasing the scoring title. You get fast payouts, 761 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:24,359 Speaker 1: it's easy to use, it's safe and secure. Plus if 762 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:25,759 Speaker 1: you're a new customer, you get a risk free bet 763 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:27,799 Speaker 1: up to one thousand dollars. Make every game feel like 764 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: the finals all season long. Download the Vandel sports Book 765 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:31,400 Speaker 1: Gap or head to Fandel dot com and sign up 766 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: using promo co Jason t to bet the NBA today 767 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: and get your first bet risk free. How are you doing, Jason, 768 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,879 Speaker 1: I'm doing good, buddy. That's your weekend. It was very good. 769 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:45,399 Speaker 1: I am just peachy. So, as you said, we've got 770 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:47,440 Speaker 1: a game, we're gonna talk about sort of what some 771 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 1: reasonable playoff expectations for a few teams around the league. 772 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:53,320 Speaker 1: But before we get into that, obviously you just broke 773 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:57,000 Speaker 1: down MAVs Bucks. How the MAVs were able to give 774 00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: you hon some trouble And we sent out a pull 775 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 1: on YouTube. Who would you rather have over the next 776 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 1: five years? Nice or Luca? That poll was but I'm interested, 777 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:12,239 Speaker 1: what are your thoughts on that? Who would you take? So? 778 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 1: I think I'd take Janice. I do think it's closer 779 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 1: than people would think. I you know, we talked a 780 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 1: lot about this when we were evaluating stars, uh, and 781 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: it was a couple shows ago. I think, But how 782 00:38:24,239 --> 00:38:29,880 Speaker 1: much circumstances matter? So, for instance, if I have a 783 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 1: great amount of defensive athleticism and size on the interior 784 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 1: already like and shooting, I'd prefer Luca because I feel 785 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 1: like I can manufacture a really good defense with that group. 786 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:44,840 Speaker 1: And I think Luca. Luca is a better offensive player 787 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: and he's more surgical, which is better and more reliable 788 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 1: in the postseason. But like building from scratch, if I 789 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: don't know what I'm gonna get, I feel like it's 790 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 1: easier to build around your Honest because he can do 791 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,399 Speaker 1: so much, and it gives me a little bit more, 792 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:02,360 Speaker 1: you know, margin for error as I'm filling around the side. 793 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:05,000 Speaker 1: So again it depends that you could you could build 794 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,840 Speaker 1: a team of role players around Luca. That would be 795 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,359 Speaker 1: a team of role players in Janice, if the role 796 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 1: players favored and kind of catered to Lucas skill set more. 797 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:16,440 Speaker 1: But I would say, in a vacuum, I take you 798 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: Honest by a certain amount, not a ton, but sixty 799 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:22,880 Speaker 1: kind of seems fair and fresh to me. Yeah, I 800 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:25,880 Speaker 1: think that's always been sort of an interesting dynamic with Luca, 801 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: is that I feel like, based on pure ability in 802 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:32,680 Speaker 1: terms of the scoring, playmaking combo, just getting into Layne, 803 00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 1: scoring from everywhere, facilitating at this age, it seems like 804 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:38,319 Speaker 1: you would have one of the highest offensive ceilings ever. 805 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 1: But you do have a bit of that bald dominance 806 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: helio centrism, and you mentioned with Janice a bit more 807 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: of the versatility, but like, how great all time do 808 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:50,399 Speaker 1: you think Luca can be? There's probably some two way 809 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 1: limitations there, but offensively, like, are we talking about a 810 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 1: guy who could potentially be like top ten ever in 811 00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:03,080 Speaker 1: that respect? Absolutely? I mean we talked about this a 812 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:05,120 Speaker 1: while back, but you can kind of see it with 813 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,960 Speaker 1: his shot, in the inconsistencies in his shot, especially the 814 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:14,359 Speaker 1: free throw line. Like, I think Luca is Lucas like 815 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:18,440 Speaker 1: that kid that you know that never tries at anything, 816 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:20,760 Speaker 1: but for some reason, he's better than everybody at anything. 817 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:23,280 Speaker 1: Like he's one of the most naturally gifted human beings 818 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:26,440 Speaker 1: to ever set foot on this earth. And like, I 819 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,680 Speaker 1: do believe there's gonna be a phase of his career 820 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 1: where he starts to embrace the work ethic, particularly when 821 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:34,120 Speaker 1: it comes to his physique, in a way that will 822 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:36,719 Speaker 1: lead to to him having a really dominant stretch. But 823 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: the truth of the matter is, like so much of 824 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 1: this depends on on like management, But I trust Mark, 825 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:46,200 Speaker 1: Cuban and Dallas to give him enough to be the 826 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:49,759 Speaker 1: kind of guy that's relevant long enough that he can 827 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:52,520 Speaker 1: have that type of career. Now, last last little note 828 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,120 Speaker 1: on that this is why it's so important for him 829 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:56,480 Speaker 1: to take care of his body. So many of these 830 00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:59,279 Speaker 1: kinds of things come down to health. So many of 831 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 1: these kinds of things has come down to little breaks 832 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:04,319 Speaker 1: along the way. And so that's part of why I 833 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,640 Speaker 1: hope that Luca finally soon starts taking care of his 834 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:09,960 Speaker 1: body to a greater extent because I want him to 835 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,160 Speaker 1: have a long career because if he does, I absolutely 836 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 1: think I would say top five player ever is absolutely 837 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:19,719 Speaker 1: doable for him. Yeah, I agree. I think it's a 838 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:23,200 Speaker 1: fascinating question, honestly, and just a testament to obviously the 839 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:26,040 Speaker 1: kind of all time talent that does exist in the 840 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:29,080 Speaker 1: league right now. Is the game continues to evolve, all right, 841 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 1: So it's really kind of unfathomable. All right. So the 842 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 1: game that we have now is called expectations management. And 843 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:40,080 Speaker 1: like I said, pretty much, I'm gonna name a team, 844 00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:44,360 Speaker 1: You're gonna tell me what you think would equal playoffs 845 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:46,759 Speaker 1: success for them? What's an expectation that they should be 846 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,200 Speaker 1: happy with in terms of what they can do this postseason. 847 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:53,120 Speaker 1: We're gonna start with the Utah Jazz. What would playoff 848 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:59,000 Speaker 1: success look like? For them? Um, that's an interesting one. 849 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: I would say you know, these small markets, they operate 850 00:42:03,080 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: on different wavelengths in terms of the expectations in a 851 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:09,760 Speaker 1: lot of ways, Like if they made the conference finals, 852 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:11,400 Speaker 1: there's a case to be made that if you're the 853 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,840 Speaker 1: Utah Jazz, with the type of stars that you have 854 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:15,759 Speaker 1: access to in free agency, with the way you have 855 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,160 Speaker 1: to build your team, that that would be a success. 856 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:20,400 Speaker 1: But in the context of everything that's happened in the 857 00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:23,359 Speaker 1: last few seasons, it will be deemed a failure. So 858 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:25,680 Speaker 1: they're in the really unfortunate position where if they don't 859 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: win a championship they have to blow things up, but 860 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,480 Speaker 1: they're also just not going to win a championship. What 861 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,920 Speaker 1: happened against the Warriors the other night was absolutely insane. 862 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:37,680 Speaker 1: My uh So, the Warriors switch every screen, which of 863 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:41,040 Speaker 1: course completely shut down the Jazz offense at the end 864 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:44,160 Speaker 1: of the game, especially because we talked about this a lot, 865 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:46,799 Speaker 1: but they rely on small guards to create all of 866 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:49,319 Speaker 1: their isolation possessions on the perimeter for the most part, 867 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:52,120 Speaker 1: outside of Backdanovitch, and he's just not that good. And 868 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:54,239 Speaker 1: when you have a team like the Warriors that's just 869 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:58,920 Speaker 1: completely fielding lineups full of range e wings all the time. 870 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 1: There are just gonna have a lot of success stopping 871 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:03,879 Speaker 1: them in those isolation possessions. There's this crazy clip out 872 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 1: there that's making the rounds on Twitter today of of 873 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:09,799 Speaker 1: the Warriors making like six straight threes to turn that 874 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:12,880 Speaker 1: game around at the end yesterday. But what was interesting 875 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:15,960 Speaker 1: is there's a very easy way to beat that coverage 876 00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:18,120 Speaker 1: if you have a guy like Rudy Gobert, and it's 877 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: to punish the switches inside. You know, just instead of 878 00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:24,839 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell being like, I'm gonna attack your big man 879 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:27,560 Speaker 1: on this switch, it's get the ball into Rudy Gobert 880 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:31,280 Speaker 1: dealing with the little guy under the basket. But Cranches, uh, 881 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 1: the Cranches is a guy that covers the Lakers, does 882 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:36,439 Speaker 1: a bunch of analytics stuff. He released some stats today 883 00:43:36,480 --> 00:43:40,799 Speaker 1: that we're unbelievable. This entire season, Rudy Gobert has ten 884 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:45,840 Speaker 1: made baskets attacking switches underneath the rim, ten in seventy 885 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:49,399 Speaker 1: plus games. He just he's not any good at it. 886 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,959 Speaker 1: His teammates don't trust him in those scenarios. The whole 887 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:55,480 Speaker 1: situation is kind of poisoned on that front. So the 888 00:43:55,520 --> 00:43:57,359 Speaker 1: inevitable thing that's gonna happen with this team, is they're 889 00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:00,200 Speaker 1: gonna face some team that switches every screen. Donovan sold 890 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:01,919 Speaker 1: Mike Conley are gonna be able to create enough shots, 891 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: Rudy Gobert is not gonna punish teams for him switching 892 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:06,839 Speaker 1: onto a smaller player, and they're gonna lose and then 893 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:09,319 Speaker 1: they're gonna finally blow things up. But yeah, I mean 894 00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 1: a realistic expectation is if they win a series in 895 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:16,680 Speaker 1: the first round, I would be impressed. But I think, really, 896 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:19,279 Speaker 1: I think as a team internally they're probably talking title 897 00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 1: or bust. That blow up have to be splitting up 898 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:29,120 Speaker 1: Donnie and Gobert to you, like, is there a way 899 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:32,239 Speaker 1: wherewith those two still in terms of cap they could 900 00:44:32,280 --> 00:44:34,280 Speaker 1: add the kind of shooting and defense on the wings 901 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:36,319 Speaker 1: in perimeter that they need. Or does it have to 902 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:40,919 Speaker 1: be we're splitting up these two. You have to split 903 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:42,720 Speaker 1: them up, and I think it has to be Rudy 904 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:44,839 Speaker 1: if they trade Donovan to be a huge mistake. Now, 905 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,560 Speaker 1: there's some intel out there that says that Donovan doesn't 906 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:50,440 Speaker 1: want to stay in Utah, So like, if there's this 907 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,760 Speaker 1: has to be done with some sort of real serious, 908 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:55,680 Speaker 1: honest conversations with Donovan, Like, hey, dude, we're gonna blow 909 00:44:55,719 --> 00:44:58,399 Speaker 1: this up. We're gonna ditch. Rudy will build this how 910 00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:00,680 Speaker 1: you want to. I just need some sort of commitment 911 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:02,800 Speaker 1: that you're gonna stay and then maybe if he commits, 912 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:05,279 Speaker 1: then you can go that route. But it gets really 913 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:07,520 Speaker 1: complicated if Donovan's like, not, dude, I'm out of here 914 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:10,799 Speaker 1: for whatever reason. The reason why Rudy should be in 915 00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:14,399 Speaker 1: a vacuum the guy they move is because as as 916 00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:16,800 Speaker 1: much as I've defended his defense and I will defend 917 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:19,520 Speaker 1: his defense in the sense that he's not responsible for 918 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:22,080 Speaker 1: the Jazz defensive problems, he's he can guard in any 919 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:25,480 Speaker 1: type of coverage that The problem is is that for 920 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 1: a player like that who cannot punish switches, it's not 921 00:45:30,760 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 1: worth the max and it's tough to have that much 922 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:36,880 Speaker 1: money tied up on your payroll for a player who 923 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:38,440 Speaker 1: can't do that kind of thing. I don't think you 924 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:41,240 Speaker 1: can take screen assists to the bank for a MAX 925 00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:44,920 Speaker 1: contract or dunking finishes under the basket for a MAX contract. 926 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:48,640 Speaker 1: You're better off, Like if you could get a Clint 927 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 1: Capella type of player in there in that role you 928 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:56,359 Speaker 1: experience a drop, they're only gonna get like maybe sevent 929 00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 1: of what Rudy brings to the table, But you're gonna 930 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,960 Speaker 1: get if you can find a player who can do 931 00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:04,040 Speaker 1: that type of thing for significantly less money, you're better 932 00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:07,840 Speaker 1: off redirecting those resources just to a bigger wing or 933 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:10,319 Speaker 1: players that can defend on the perimeter and some sort 934 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:12,920 Speaker 1: of isolation player that's not a small guy, if that 935 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:16,680 Speaker 1: makes sense. Yeah, and I mean you mentioned the capit. 936 00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:20,880 Speaker 1: Gobert is gonna be making almost forty seven million dollars 937 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:26,320 Speaker 1: in twenty six, so like there's just no flexibility there whatsoever. 938 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:31,640 Speaker 1: All right, Jason, expectations management. What does playoffs success look 939 00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:36,319 Speaker 1: like for the Chicago Bulls this year? Oh, that's a 940 00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:41,080 Speaker 1: really good question. In their defense, Lawns of all being 941 00:46:41,080 --> 00:46:43,920 Speaker 1: out is a wrinkle. The way this team was constructed 942 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: depended on this kind of force of perimeter defense from 943 00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:52,640 Speaker 1: Lonzo and Alex Cruzo um simply because their stars are 944 00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:55,600 Speaker 1: not defensive minded. In terms of big threes in NBA history, 945 00:46:55,719 --> 00:46:58,719 Speaker 1: Levine de Rosen and uh now I'm blinking in his 946 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:03,680 Speaker 1: name usual the center. Yeah, thank you. Uh, those three 947 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:07,440 Speaker 1: guys are probably three of the three worst defenders to 948 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:09,759 Speaker 1: make up a big three in NBA. History if you had, 949 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:12,239 Speaker 1: if you had to guess, so from that standpoint, like 950 00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:14,680 Speaker 1: they depend so much on guys doing the dirty work. 951 00:47:14,680 --> 00:47:18,120 Speaker 1: There's a ridiculous block from Patrick Williams Yestrady. You have 952 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:21,439 Speaker 1: young talent, defensive talent around them that do a lot 953 00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:24,600 Speaker 1: of stuff that that's exciting. But in the playoffs, I 954 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:26,480 Speaker 1: have a feeling that they're a team that's gonna be 955 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:30,120 Speaker 1: very vulnerable to scheming uh and they're gonna find ways 956 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:32,040 Speaker 1: to attack Booster which they're gonna find ways to attack 957 00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:35,359 Speaker 1: De Rosen into into attack Leavin. Now, I would say 958 00:47:35,400 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 1: if they won a playoff series at all, that would 959 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:41,040 Speaker 1: be a massive success, especially if you look at the 960 00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:45,520 Speaker 1: recency or the recent years in what they've accomplished as 961 00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:49,880 Speaker 1: a franchise. The Chicago Bulls that said, I would you 962 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:53,319 Speaker 1: pick them over any of those top four seeds? I wouldn't. No, 963 00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:57,799 Speaker 1: I wouldn't either. Do you think there's value in what 964 00:47:57,880 --> 00:48:00,680 Speaker 1: they've put together this year? And like keep together this 965 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:03,279 Speaker 1: core because there was so much skepticism initially and then 966 00:48:03,320 --> 00:48:05,160 Speaker 1: there was so much excitement. But now if you just 967 00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:09,200 Speaker 1: settle in to this, you know, five seed range, Like, 968 00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 1: what are your thoughts? Did they make the right move 969 00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:17,279 Speaker 1: going and putting together this core I think so I 970 00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:19,200 Speaker 1: I'm always going to be a defender of teams that 971 00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:22,600 Speaker 1: go for it, you know, just because I hate loser attitudes, 972 00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:26,040 Speaker 1: you know. But like the reason, the case for why 973 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:29,959 Speaker 1: this was smart is the development of younger players. You 974 00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:32,920 Speaker 1: you have to look at this like like Levine and 975 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,200 Speaker 1: DeRozan aren't going to be declining anytime soon. Vossovic is 976 00:48:36,239 --> 00:48:40,120 Speaker 1: what he is, but if Patrick Williams can make a leap, 977 00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:47,000 Speaker 1: especially on offense, Alex Caruso makes significant offensive improvement each 978 00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:49,600 Speaker 1: year because he's already a great defensive player, but he's 979 00:48:49,640 --> 00:48:51,359 Speaker 1: each year he gets a little bit better and pick 980 00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:54,040 Speaker 1: and roll a little bit better. Shooting the basketball. He 981 00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:55,840 Speaker 1: had a year with the Lakers last year where he 982 00:48:55,840 --> 00:48:58,920 Speaker 1: shot from three. He's obviously he's had an injury derailed 983 00:48:58,920 --> 00:49:01,880 Speaker 1: season this year, but like Alonso, kind of is what 984 00:49:01,920 --> 00:49:03,640 Speaker 1: he is at this point. But Alonzo has some weakness, 985 00:49:03,760 --> 00:49:07,560 Speaker 1: especially finishing around the basket. If the the cases, Kobe 986 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:10,240 Speaker 1: White obviously as well as a bench guard the cases, 987 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:13,960 Speaker 1: those guys all getting better. And what that means for 988 00:49:14,120 --> 00:49:17,279 Speaker 1: around those three, you know, and what you don't want 989 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:20,320 Speaker 1: to have is like a situation where you're only dealing 990 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:22,239 Speaker 1: with young town. That's what's been killing the Pelicans for 991 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:24,240 Speaker 1: a long time. That's what makes the c. J. McCollum 992 00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:27,760 Speaker 1: trade so smart. You get in a veteran, proven good 993 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:30,400 Speaker 1: player alongside the young players, all of a sudden, you 994 00:49:30,440 --> 00:49:32,080 Speaker 1: have a more feasible product. That's the way I look 995 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:33,800 Speaker 1: at it is you you brought in de ros and 996 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:36,680 Speaker 1: Levine has turned into a legitimate star. You get those 997 00:49:36,719 --> 00:49:39,920 Speaker 1: guys in with young talent that has a lot of upside. 998 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:41,840 Speaker 1: The the angle is is over the course of the 999 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:44,040 Speaker 1: next few years, you might become more relevant. And then, 1000 00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:46,160 Speaker 1: as we know in the NBA, all it takes is 1001 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:49,280 Speaker 1: a key injury here or key matchup there, and suddenly 1002 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:51,839 Speaker 1: you're in the conference finals and now it's all about like, 1003 00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:53,560 Speaker 1: who knows what can happen? You can win the series. 1004 00:49:53,600 --> 00:49:57,879 Speaker 1: So I I I'm I'm very I'm very pro what 1005 00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:01,279 Speaker 1: Chicago did you just have change your expectations. They're not 1006 00:50:01,360 --> 00:50:02,719 Speaker 1: the Lakers. They are not gonna be able to sign 1007 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:05,000 Speaker 1: these huge, big name guys, so they have to go 1008 00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:06,960 Speaker 1: about it in a different way. And I'm totally fine 1009 00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:10,560 Speaker 1: with the way they went about it. Right all right. Well, 1010 00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:13,200 Speaker 1: we talked a bit about this team on Friday and 1011 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:16,080 Speaker 1: dove a little bit into what their playoff expectation might be. 1012 00:50:16,160 --> 00:50:19,439 Speaker 1: But Jason, what does playoff success look like this year 1013 00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:26,000 Speaker 1: for the Memphis Grizzlies. They're good enough to win the title. 1014 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:30,120 Speaker 1: In the locker room, I'm sure they're talking about how 1015 00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:33,040 Speaker 1: their goal is to win the title. But I mean, 1016 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:36,600 Speaker 1: if we look at NBA history at young teams like 1017 00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:40,840 Speaker 1: this that go on runs, young cores that go on runs, 1018 00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:44,760 Speaker 1: Think like the Golden State Warriors in two thousand thirteen 1019 00:50:44,800 --> 00:50:48,400 Speaker 1: against the Spurs, Think like Katie Russ and James Harden 1020 00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:52,719 Speaker 1: in two thousand twelve. Um even the Chicago Bulls in 1021 00:50:52,719 --> 00:50:54,560 Speaker 1: two thousand eleven to a certain extent, although they were 1022 00:50:54,560 --> 00:50:59,840 Speaker 1: derailed by Derrick Rose's knee injury. Like having when we 1023 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:02,520 Speaker 1: sing a couple of playoffs series and being in the 1024 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:05,799 Speaker 1: Conference finals, getting that type of experience and that type 1025 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:08,240 Speaker 1: of thing is a massive success in my opinion, especially 1026 00:51:08,239 --> 00:51:11,840 Speaker 1: when you look with that particular team, like Jaren Jackson Jr. 1027 00:51:12,239 --> 00:51:16,440 Speaker 1: Is going right now. He's all brute force and young exuberants. 1028 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:19,279 Speaker 1: There's gonna be a point where Jaren Jackson Jr. Kind 1029 00:51:19,280 --> 00:51:21,040 Speaker 1: of picks up some of that better and savvy and 1030 00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:23,080 Speaker 1: plays the game at a slower pace and it's better 1031 00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:25,800 Speaker 1: at making reads. That's gonna be a really good player. 1032 00:51:26,239 --> 00:51:29,600 Speaker 1: John Morant, I think right now he's a streaky three 1033 00:51:29,600 --> 00:51:31,839 Speaker 1: point shooter. And that's one of the things that could 1034 00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:34,279 Speaker 1: end up derailing them in a postseason series is if 1035 00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:37,840 Speaker 1: he gets cold and a team goes full San Antonio 1036 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:40,560 Speaker 1: spurs and goes underneath every screen at the blow the 1037 00:51:40,560 --> 00:51:43,120 Speaker 1: free throw line, and it's like, dude, you gotta make threes, 1038 00:51:43,160 --> 00:51:44,960 Speaker 1: and he goes cold, that could end up beating him. 1039 00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:48,320 Speaker 1: But his shot profile, his mechanics, the way he shoots 1040 00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:50,320 Speaker 1: at the free throw line, Like I see John Morant 1041 00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:52,000 Speaker 1: as a guy that in the long run, is gonna 1042 00:51:52,000 --> 00:51:54,719 Speaker 1: be a very good perimeter shooter. And then Desmond Band 1043 00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:56,080 Speaker 1: kind of is what he is at this point. But 1044 00:51:56,160 --> 00:51:58,799 Speaker 1: like they've got other exciting young players on their team 1045 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:01,080 Speaker 1: as well. So like the way I look at it, 1046 00:52:01,160 --> 00:52:04,120 Speaker 1: like play understand the long game and understand that this 1047 00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:06,640 Speaker 1: season isn't what it's all worth. But I understand that 1048 00:52:06,840 --> 00:52:09,200 Speaker 1: in the locker room they have championship expectations and they 1049 00:52:09,200 --> 00:52:11,640 Speaker 1: should because they're capable. But if they win. If they 1050 00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:15,000 Speaker 1: win a playoff series and take and take like a 1051 00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:17,879 Speaker 1: Phoenix to six games in the conference finals and lose, 1052 00:52:17,920 --> 00:52:22,040 Speaker 1: I would view that as a resounding success. Yeah, that 1053 00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:25,800 Speaker 1: seems reasonable to me. I mean, obviously, so young the window, 1054 00:52:25,840 --> 00:52:27,920 Speaker 1: you would think it's still pretty long from here, and 1055 00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:31,600 Speaker 1: the sun's tough to expect for really anybody out west 1056 00:52:31,640 --> 00:52:34,560 Speaker 1: to beat them at this point. I would say, all right, Jason, 1057 00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:38,840 Speaker 1: what does playoff success look like for the Philadelphia seventies 1058 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:45,120 Speaker 1: sixers this year? Title or bus man with with Joel 1059 00:52:45,160 --> 00:52:48,400 Speaker 1: Embiide and his ego, how much should he talks? The 1060 00:52:48,440 --> 00:52:51,680 Speaker 1: way he's been a dominant player throughout the regular season, 1061 00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:54,279 Speaker 1: James Harden and everything that surrounds him, the way he 1062 00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:57,080 Speaker 1: knuked his way out of Brooklyn, everything Daryl Morrity gave 1063 00:52:57,160 --> 00:53:00,680 Speaker 1: up to get him. They have a rem arkable set 1064 00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:03,600 Speaker 1: of role players around them. Tobias Harris. Yes, he's overpaid, 1065 00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:05,839 Speaker 1: but that's a great wing to have out there, that's 1066 00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:09,799 Speaker 1: guarding and attacking mismatches and attacking close outs, knocking down 1067 00:53:09,840 --> 00:53:13,839 Speaker 1: spot of three is Tyres Maxie is like a very 1068 00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:16,000 Speaker 1: one of the better young guards that we have in 1069 00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:20,040 Speaker 1: the league. Um, you know, Andre Drummond is an awesome 1070 00:53:20,080 --> 00:53:22,759 Speaker 1: backup center and all that they actually lost him, I 1071 00:53:22,760 --> 00:53:25,520 Speaker 1: should take that back. DeAndre Jordan is I actually don't 1072 00:53:25,600 --> 00:53:28,359 Speaker 1: understand why they played DeAndre Jordan at all. Like that's 1073 00:53:28,400 --> 00:53:32,840 Speaker 1: been the one little uh a little you know, endorphin 1074 00:53:32,920 --> 00:53:35,359 Speaker 1: rush for Lakers fans is getting to see somebody else 1075 00:53:35,440 --> 00:53:37,560 Speaker 1: have to deal with the DeAndre Jordan problem. But if 1076 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:41,239 Speaker 1: you look at Tyres Maxie and Danny Green and Tobias Harris, 1077 00:53:41,280 --> 00:53:46,160 Speaker 1: and you know they they have George's Niang shooting from 1078 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:48,319 Speaker 1: three this year is like a six nine kind of 1079 00:53:48,560 --> 00:53:51,479 Speaker 1: range e type of forward. They have a really good 1080 00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:54,280 Speaker 1: set of role players and two really good stars. There's 1081 00:53:54,320 --> 00:53:56,200 Speaker 1: no reason in the world why they shouldn't be in 1082 00:53:56,200 --> 00:53:58,080 Speaker 1: the finals this year, if not winning the whole thing. 1083 00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:01,120 Speaker 1: But I don't think they will because of all the 1084 00:54:01,120 --> 00:54:03,480 Speaker 1: reasons we've broken down on the show this year, and 1085 00:54:03,640 --> 00:54:05,920 Speaker 1: most of them having to do with James Harden's decline. 1086 00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:08,840 Speaker 1: But yeah, like this team had, this team absolutely should 1087 00:54:08,840 --> 00:54:10,920 Speaker 1: be held to a championship or bus expectation. That's how 1088 00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:14,680 Speaker 1: much talent they have. How far do they have to 1089 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:22,239 Speaker 1: go for Doc to keep his job? Oh man, it 1090 00:54:22,320 --> 00:54:25,160 Speaker 1: depends on who they lose to and how like if 1091 00:54:25,200 --> 00:54:27,000 Speaker 1: they get to the conference finals and they lose to 1092 00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:29,919 Speaker 1: Milwaukee and it's a six or seven games series, that's 1093 00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:33,319 Speaker 1: one thing people will talk themselves into that not being 1094 00:54:33,360 --> 00:54:36,480 Speaker 1: the issue. I find Doc to be more of a 1095 00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:38,600 Speaker 1: figurehead than anything else at this point. I think there 1096 00:54:38,600 --> 00:54:42,879 Speaker 1: are younger, more forward thinking coaches in the league right now. 1097 00:54:43,160 --> 00:54:44,800 Speaker 1: He's kind of reminds me of Frank Vogel in a 1098 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:46,239 Speaker 1: lot of ways. Like if you put him around the 1099 00:54:46,280 --> 00:54:49,160 Speaker 1: perfect roster that caters to his philosophy and the way 1100 00:54:49,239 --> 00:54:51,400 Speaker 1: that he likes to coach, he can be a great coach. 1101 00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:53,120 Speaker 1: But if things kind of get out of that, then 1102 00:54:53,200 --> 00:54:55,840 Speaker 1: he's not very He's not malleable enough, if that makes sense. 1103 00:54:56,200 --> 00:54:59,759 Speaker 1: So if anything, if you're if you're six or s 1104 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:02,520 Speaker 1: and if there's one silver lining in them having an 1105 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:05,359 Speaker 1: early flame out, it might get you to lose Doc 1106 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:08,480 Speaker 1: and then maybe maybe they won't sign James hard into 1107 00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:10,359 Speaker 1: that super Max and get off some of that money, 1108 00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:12,080 Speaker 1: or do some sort of sign and trade or something 1109 00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:14,839 Speaker 1: to try to recoup some assets. But yeah, it'll it'll 1110 00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:17,800 Speaker 1: be really interesting to see. I I I would say 1111 00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:20,680 Speaker 1: that if they had an admirable showing even if they 1112 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:22,560 Speaker 1: won the title, they'd keep him. But I would say 1113 00:55:22,600 --> 00:55:26,120 Speaker 1: that he's not the right coach for this team. All right, 1114 00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:30,600 Speaker 1: last team here and maybe the toughest one on this list, 1115 00:55:30,640 --> 00:55:34,680 Speaker 1: just because we haven't seen them in what in the 1116 00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:36,879 Speaker 1: form that we expected before the year, and we still 1117 00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:39,319 Speaker 1: don't know exactly what their roster is gonna look like 1118 00:55:39,360 --> 00:55:43,160 Speaker 1: in terms of healthcome playoffs. But Jason, what does playoff 1119 00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:48,200 Speaker 1: success look like for the Denver Nuggets this year? Denver Nuggets, 1120 00:55:50,560 --> 00:55:55,040 Speaker 1: They're gonna They're gonna lose in the first round. I 1121 00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:58,600 Speaker 1: think they're almost guaranteed to end up as the sixth seed, 1122 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:06,520 Speaker 1: which would likely have them playing Dallas. Dallas, they're gimmicky 1123 00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:09,680 Speaker 1: defensive coverages with doubling and rotating are actually kind of 1124 00:56:09,760 --> 00:56:14,800 Speaker 1: something that is an interesting challenge for Nicola yokich Um. 1125 00:56:14,840 --> 00:56:17,120 Speaker 1: If there's one player on the planet who could solve them, 1126 00:56:17,120 --> 00:56:19,360 Speaker 1: it be him. But for all the reasons that I 1127 00:56:19,400 --> 00:56:23,200 Speaker 1: broke down earlier, I think Dallas will win. My thing 1128 00:56:23,280 --> 00:56:27,759 Speaker 1: is like I don't think they can win, and their 1129 00:56:27,760 --> 00:56:30,719 Speaker 1: expectations should be that this is not the standards. You 1130 00:56:30,719 --> 00:56:32,399 Speaker 1: should hold him too, because you don't have Jamal Murray 1131 00:56:32,400 --> 00:56:34,600 Speaker 1: you don't have Michael Porter Jr. Things along those lines. 1132 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:37,759 Speaker 1: My thing though, is like, at what point do we 1133 00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:41,640 Speaker 1: start to factor in this stuff with Yokich in the 1134 00:56:41,680 --> 00:56:44,160 Speaker 1: way we evaluate him compared to the rest of the league. 1135 00:56:44,160 --> 00:56:46,960 Speaker 1: There's so much like Yoki is the best player in 1136 00:56:46,960 --> 00:56:50,000 Speaker 1: the world talk around, but the team has been kinda 1137 00:56:50,600 --> 00:56:52,640 Speaker 1: like if he over the course of the last couple 1138 00:56:52,640 --> 00:56:55,879 Speaker 1: of months and like they lost in the second round 1139 00:56:55,880 --> 00:56:58,200 Speaker 1: of Phoenix last year. I suppose it's impressive that he 1140 00:56:58,239 --> 00:57:01,560 Speaker 1: beat that garbage Portland team team, but like, if there 1141 00:57:01,640 --> 00:57:04,239 Speaker 1: was Lebron James and his prime, would you pick him 1142 00:57:04,239 --> 00:57:07,799 Speaker 1: with that Denver roster over the over that Dallas team. 1143 00:57:07,840 --> 00:57:10,640 Speaker 1: I would if there was like Kevin Durant and his 1144 00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:14,160 Speaker 1: prime or Janice at his peak with that Denver Nuggets team, 1145 00:57:14,200 --> 00:57:16,400 Speaker 1: you probably give them a puncher's chance to maybe get 1146 00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:18,400 Speaker 1: out of the conference. Like that's how you view those 1147 00:57:18,440 --> 00:57:20,720 Speaker 1: guys at the peak of their powers. But I don't 1148 00:57:20,720 --> 00:57:23,840 Speaker 1: feel like Yoki has a even like even a chance 1149 00:57:24,280 --> 00:57:26,000 Speaker 1: to get out of the West this year, And that 1150 00:57:26,080 --> 00:57:28,160 Speaker 1: kind of that kind of is like if if I 1151 00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:30,320 Speaker 1: don't feel like Yoka has a chance to do that, 1152 00:57:30,640 --> 00:57:32,800 Speaker 1: then why is he in the conversation for the best 1153 00:57:32,800 --> 00:57:36,840 Speaker 1: players in the world, if that makes sense, that's interesting. 1154 00:57:36,960 --> 00:57:40,280 Speaker 1: So I think that. I mean, it's been a pretty 1155 00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:42,960 Speaker 1: remarkable floor raising job by him this year, and just 1156 00:57:43,000 --> 00:57:45,960 Speaker 1: to maintain that level of scoring and playmaking, production and efficiency. 1157 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:50,320 Speaker 1: So what do you think is the limitation there with 1158 00:57:50,480 --> 00:57:55,080 Speaker 1: Yokich that's you know, making you feel that way he's 1159 00:57:55,080 --> 00:57:57,640 Speaker 1: specifically targetable in playoff series is on a couple of 1160 00:57:57,680 --> 00:58:02,440 Speaker 1: different levels. Um, he's slow and plotting and operates around 1161 00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:04,560 Speaker 1: the basket, so you can beat him in transition. That's 1162 00:58:04,560 --> 00:58:07,240 Speaker 1: something that, like in a one game setting, is hard 1163 00:58:07,280 --> 00:58:10,200 Speaker 1: to account for because on one night a team might 1164 00:58:10,200 --> 00:58:12,000 Speaker 1: just be playing with high energy on their home floor 1165 00:58:12,000 --> 00:58:13,920 Speaker 1: and be flying up and down the floor. You know, 1166 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:16,560 Speaker 1: one team might have a game plan specifically to attack it. 1167 00:58:16,920 --> 00:58:20,960 Speaker 1: In a playoff series, it will be deliberately and intentionally attacked. 1168 00:58:21,040 --> 00:58:24,240 Speaker 1: Teams will try to run on them. And then on 1169 00:58:24,280 --> 00:58:27,600 Speaker 1: the defensive end, we talked about this a lot. Kudos 1170 00:58:27,640 --> 00:58:31,120 Speaker 1: to Yoki to turning himself into a functional drop coverage center, 1171 00:58:31,720 --> 00:58:36,000 Speaker 1: but got one dimensional defensive centers like that are actually 1172 00:58:36,120 --> 00:58:38,120 Speaker 1: very easy to attack in a playoff series when you 1173 00:58:38,120 --> 00:58:41,640 Speaker 1: can scheme around it. So too like everything that we 1174 00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:44,320 Speaker 1: did say when we were slandering Rudy Gobert over the 1175 00:58:44,320 --> 00:58:46,360 Speaker 1: course of the last few years that was kind of inaccurate, 1176 00:58:46,720 --> 00:58:49,800 Speaker 1: actually is true. As it pertains to Nicola Yokits. When 1177 00:58:49,800 --> 00:58:51,880 Speaker 1: people see him under the basket, they're not really scared 1178 00:58:51,920 --> 00:58:54,800 Speaker 1: to try to finish around him. He doesn't guard on 1179 00:58:54,840 --> 00:58:58,160 Speaker 1: the perimeter well at all. He does guard too low 1180 00:58:58,240 --> 00:59:01,000 Speaker 1: on the screen, and his drop coverage in guards that 1181 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:03,880 Speaker 1: are good at getting defenders pinned on screens, and guards 1182 00:59:03,920 --> 00:59:06,240 Speaker 1: that are comfortable in the mid range are very comfortable 1183 00:59:06,240 --> 00:59:08,440 Speaker 1: shooting over the top of your kitchen his drop coverage, 1184 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:10,440 Speaker 1: so like there are a lot of very specific ways 1185 00:59:10,480 --> 00:59:14,600 Speaker 1: that he can be attacked, you know, whereas in even 1186 00:59:14,640 --> 00:59:16,440 Speaker 1: with him on the offensive end as well, there's kind 1187 00:59:16,480 --> 00:59:18,440 Speaker 1: of like a style that he plays that works. But 1188 00:59:18,480 --> 00:59:21,880 Speaker 1: it's not like he's an overly versatile type of offensive player. 1189 00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:24,400 Speaker 1: That's that's why you would give like a Lebron James 1190 00:59:24,400 --> 00:59:26,480 Speaker 1: and two thousand eighteen, Like if I could take two 1191 00:59:26,520 --> 00:59:29,440 Speaker 1: thousand eighteen Lebron and drop him on this Nuggets team, 1192 00:59:29,480 --> 00:59:31,480 Speaker 1: with all the different ways that he can play as 1193 00:59:31,480 --> 00:59:33,720 Speaker 1: a post player, as a perimeter initiator, as a pick 1194 00:59:33,760 --> 00:59:37,880 Speaker 1: and roll guy attacking isolations and are attacking mismatches in isolation. 1195 00:59:38,120 --> 00:59:41,800 Speaker 1: He's immune to to transition issues. He can be a 1196 00:59:41,840 --> 00:59:44,920 Speaker 1: dominant perimeter defensive player and a dominant back line defensive 1197 00:59:44,920 --> 00:59:48,200 Speaker 1: player like he. There's just a bunch of different elements 1198 00:59:48,200 --> 00:59:52,200 Speaker 1: and versatilities to to those guys games that I think 1199 00:59:52,240 --> 00:59:54,160 Speaker 1: makes them more equipped for this kind of thing. I'm 1200 00:59:54,160 --> 00:59:57,000 Speaker 1: not trying like Yo kich is in a weird way, 1201 00:59:57,120 --> 01:00:00,160 Speaker 1: kind of like a the individual player version of the 1202 01:00:00,240 --> 01:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Utah Jazz. Like, I don't want to to to ignore 1203 01:00:03,720 --> 01:00:06,400 Speaker 1: the results. The results are what they are, and they've 1204 01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:08,640 Speaker 1: had some success. They had a big win against the 1205 01:00:08,680 --> 01:00:11,240 Speaker 1: Denver Nuggets in the bubble, you know, coming from behind. 1206 01:00:11,680 --> 01:00:13,600 Speaker 1: But I mean that could arguably have been a choke 1207 01:00:13,720 --> 01:00:15,760 Speaker 1: job from the Clippers too, depending on how you look 1208 01:00:15,800 --> 01:00:17,560 Speaker 1: at it. So I don't want to undercut everything that 1209 01:00:17,600 --> 01:00:20,360 Speaker 1: he's done. I'm just saying that, Like, those are the 1210 01:00:20,360 --> 01:00:22,480 Speaker 1: reasons why I don't put him on the same level 1211 01:00:22,520 --> 01:00:26,560 Speaker 1: as those guys at the top. Right, I'm a big 1212 01:00:26,600 --> 01:00:28,480 Speaker 1: believer in your kitch in terms of I think the 1213 01:00:28,600 --> 01:00:31,600 Speaker 1: all time offensive value. But I think you make very 1214 01:00:31,640 --> 01:00:34,760 Speaker 1: fair points with the rigidity defensively and like you talk 1215 01:00:34,800 --> 01:00:37,160 Speaker 1: about in a playoff context last year against the Suns, 1216 01:00:37,200 --> 01:00:40,000 Speaker 1: where he's dropping every time even if the screen is 1217 01:00:40,040 --> 01:00:43,120 Speaker 1: set like eighteen feet out and it just lay up 1218 01:00:43,200 --> 01:00:46,520 Speaker 1: mid range jumpers for CPN book like you, it's a 1219 01:00:46,640 --> 01:00:48,520 Speaker 1: very fair point. You don't have that kind of weaknesses 1220 01:00:48,560 --> 01:00:50,560 Speaker 1: with your lebrons or what have you. All Right, Well 1221 01:00:50,560 --> 01:00:52,400 Speaker 1: that's all I got for now, Jason. But we do 1222 01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:55,600 Speaker 1: have a couple of bonus takes, one of which I 1223 01:00:55,600 --> 01:00:57,480 Speaker 1: think is probably gonna get you a little fired up 1224 01:00:57,520 --> 01:01:00,280 Speaker 1: after you talk nets, so I will see you. Yeah, 1225 01:01:01,200 --> 01:01:02,760 Speaker 1: so we're bringing you back after That's all right, It 1226 01:01:02,800 --> 01:01:05,880 Speaker 1: sounds like a plan. Yeah. And and one last thing 1227 01:01:05,880 --> 01:01:08,960 Speaker 1: on the Yokis thing like I'm not you guys know me, 1228 01:01:09,000 --> 01:01:11,640 Speaker 1: I'm not stubborn about this stuff. Like if if I 1229 01:01:11,720 --> 01:01:14,960 Speaker 1: see Yokich holding his own in perimeter switches in the 1230 01:01:14,960 --> 01:01:18,520 Speaker 1: playoffs and coming higher on ball screens to disrupt these 1231 01:01:18,520 --> 01:01:22,080 Speaker 1: guys and showing a ton of offensive versatility, and if 1232 01:01:22,080 --> 01:01:25,000 Speaker 1: he you know, beats that Dallas matter Like I'm I'm 1233 01:01:25,040 --> 01:01:27,600 Speaker 1: not gonna like keep slandering your kids or keep like 1234 01:01:27,640 --> 01:01:30,280 Speaker 1: I'm I'm always reacting to the new information as it 1235 01:01:30,320 --> 01:01:32,440 Speaker 1: comes just from what I've seen from Yoki to this 1236 01:01:32,480 --> 01:01:34,640 Speaker 1: point in his playoff career, in his regular season career, 1237 01:01:35,120 --> 01:01:37,160 Speaker 1: I would I just don't think he's quite as good 1238 01:01:37,200 --> 01:01:39,560 Speaker 1: as those other guys. Alright, guys, we're gonna see Carson 1239 01:01:39,600 --> 01:01:41,240 Speaker 1: in just a minute. We're gonna come back to the 1240 01:01:41,840 --> 01:01:44,680 Speaker 1: our topic of surrounding the Brooklyn Nets. So they lost 1241 01:01:45,000 --> 01:01:49,560 Speaker 1: to Atlanta yesterday. Katie was amazing a couple of pieces 1242 01:01:49,560 --> 01:01:53,720 Speaker 1: of context. Bruce Brown was out, Seth Curry were was out. 1243 01:01:54,000 --> 01:01:56,400 Speaker 1: Those are two very important starters on a couple of 1244 01:01:56,440 --> 01:01:58,960 Speaker 1: specific levels. But then next the plus five of their 1245 01:01:59,040 --> 01:02:02,240 Speaker 1: last nine games, and in that span their eighteenth in 1246 01:02:02,360 --> 01:02:05,000 Speaker 1: defense and their a leventh in offense, which is really 1247 01:02:05,000 --> 01:02:07,360 Speaker 1: disappointing because like I told you guys, in the stretch 1248 01:02:07,400 --> 01:02:10,680 Speaker 1: before that, they've shown this these flashes of like all 1249 01:02:10,800 --> 01:02:15,000 Speaker 1: world offensive potential, like best offense I've ever seen, type 1250 01:02:15,000 --> 01:02:17,960 Speaker 1: of potential in the early stretches there when Kyrie and 1251 01:02:18,040 --> 01:02:21,760 Speaker 1: Katie were both on the floor together, and like you know, 1252 01:02:23,240 --> 01:02:26,120 Speaker 1: it's it's it's there's some similarities to the Lakers, and 1253 01:02:26,160 --> 01:02:29,919 Speaker 1: then some clear dissimilarities from the Lakers because they're over 1254 01:02:29,960 --> 01:02:33,280 Speaker 1: five hundred and the Lakers are like fifteen sixteen games 1255 01:02:33,440 --> 01:02:35,440 Speaker 1: below five hundred. So I'm not trying to compare them 1256 01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:38,320 Speaker 1: in terms of like the Lakers are an absolute dumpster fire. 1257 01:02:38,400 --> 01:02:41,000 Speaker 1: That's a whole other issue, but some of the similarities 1258 01:02:41,000 --> 01:02:45,320 Speaker 1: there are, Like you'll see the Nets go into Philly 1259 01:02:45,440 --> 01:02:48,720 Speaker 1: and Kyrie will sit in a defensive stance all night 1260 01:02:48,840 --> 01:02:52,520 Speaker 1: and make James Harden's life a living hell. And then 1261 01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:56,120 Speaker 1: they'll go home and the Charlotte Hornets will come into 1262 01:02:56,160 --> 01:02:58,680 Speaker 1: town and they won't guard at all, and they'll give 1263 01:02:58,760 --> 01:03:01,720 Speaker 1: up like a hundred thirty something points and lose and 1264 01:03:01,760 --> 01:03:04,520 Speaker 1: get punked on their home floor when they're dealing with 1265 01:03:04,600 --> 01:03:07,200 Speaker 1: issues in the standings, And so that kind of reminds 1266 01:03:07,200 --> 01:03:09,400 Speaker 1: me of the Lakers with their inconsistent effort. I think. 1267 01:03:10,040 --> 01:03:12,880 Speaker 1: I think the Brooklyn Nets are a switch flipping team 1268 01:03:13,200 --> 01:03:16,480 Speaker 1: that actually has a switch to flip, whereas the Lakers 1269 01:03:16,520 --> 01:03:18,600 Speaker 1: were a switch flipping team who would flip the switch 1270 01:03:18,640 --> 01:03:21,120 Speaker 1: and then they still suck. That's like the huge difference 1271 01:03:21,360 --> 01:03:24,040 Speaker 1: between the two of them. But like there, I I 1272 01:03:24,160 --> 01:03:27,720 Speaker 1: still believe in them. My my, my faith is wavering 1273 01:03:27,760 --> 01:03:30,240 Speaker 1: a little bit. And the reason why I was I 1274 01:03:30,280 --> 01:03:32,200 Speaker 1: was thinking about this earlier today, even though the even 1275 01:03:32,240 --> 01:03:36,280 Speaker 1: though the Bucks lost, the reason why, like I'm leaning 1276 01:03:36,360 --> 01:03:39,520 Speaker 1: towards like the trend is telling me that maybe the 1277 01:03:40,080 --> 01:03:42,320 Speaker 1: Nets aren't the most likely team to come out of 1278 01:03:42,320 --> 01:03:44,560 Speaker 1: the East, and maybe it's the Bucks. And it's simply 1279 01:03:44,560 --> 01:03:49,000 Speaker 1: because the Bucks look very serious about their intentions to 1280 01:03:49,040 --> 01:03:51,320 Speaker 1: go on and run, and you can see that in 1281 01:03:51,400 --> 01:03:55,280 Speaker 1: a day in day out effort. They lost today again, 1282 01:03:55,360 --> 01:03:56,480 Speaker 1: like I said, but a lot of that had to 1283 01:03:56,520 --> 01:03:59,400 Speaker 1: do with Luca and execution and and they also didn't 1284 01:03:59,400 --> 01:04:02,960 Speaker 1: shoot the ball particularly well and from three. So like 1285 01:04:03,560 --> 01:04:05,880 Speaker 1: I know that they lost today, but overall, over the 1286 01:04:05,880 --> 01:04:07,800 Speaker 1: course of the last couple of weeks, you can see 1287 01:04:07,840 --> 01:04:11,200 Speaker 1: like the Bucks are getting serious about this. They're going 1288 01:04:11,320 --> 01:04:14,720 Speaker 1: for this every night. They there's a there's an intensity 1289 01:04:15,160 --> 01:04:17,640 Speaker 1: and a and a belief behind what they're doing. And 1290 01:04:17,640 --> 01:04:21,400 Speaker 1: you saw that behind those two incredibly impressive wins against 1291 01:04:21,400 --> 01:04:26,240 Speaker 1: Brooklyn and Philly last week. Brooklyn meanwhile, doesn't look serious 1292 01:04:26,600 --> 01:04:28,919 Speaker 1: on any given night. They're not bringing that same level 1293 01:04:28,960 --> 01:04:30,880 Speaker 1: the level of energy, just like I talked about. So 1294 01:04:30,920 --> 01:04:33,959 Speaker 1: that's the concern there. Now, what's really interesting is what's 1295 01:04:34,080 --> 01:04:38,520 Speaker 1: starting to happen in the standings there tied in the 1296 01:04:38,640 --> 01:04:42,960 Speaker 1: tent spot for Charlotte. But Charlotte is the tiebreaker and 1297 01:04:43,040 --> 01:04:46,080 Speaker 1: there's only a handful of games left, and who knows 1298 01:04:46,120 --> 01:04:48,240 Speaker 1: what could happen there. I mean, the Bucks are the 1299 01:04:48,280 --> 01:04:50,400 Speaker 1: Nets could very well end up getting that nine seed. 1300 01:04:50,680 --> 01:04:54,920 Speaker 1: But there's a very realistic chance, like firmly in the 1301 01:04:54,920 --> 01:04:57,920 Speaker 1: realm of possibility, that the Nets have to go on 1302 01:04:57,960 --> 01:05:01,960 Speaker 1: the road to win that game game and then have 1303 01:05:02,080 --> 01:05:06,520 Speaker 1: to go on the road to be Atlanta or Cleveland, 1304 01:05:07,520 --> 01:05:09,920 Speaker 1: And Atlanta is gonna be a really tough place to 1305 01:05:10,000 --> 01:05:12,800 Speaker 1: play in a one game elimination with an opportunity to 1306 01:05:12,840 --> 01:05:17,439 Speaker 1: eliminate Kevin Durant. Cleveland is gonna be a really tough 1307 01:05:17,760 --> 01:05:22,080 Speaker 1: place to play in a one game elimination situation with 1308 01:05:22,160 --> 01:05:25,280 Speaker 1: an opportunity to knock Kevin Durant. You know how much 1309 01:05:25,640 --> 01:05:27,960 Speaker 1: the Quicker Loans Arena has has been waiting for an 1310 01:05:27,960 --> 01:05:30,200 Speaker 1: opportunity to I don't even know if it's still called that, 1311 01:05:30,320 --> 01:05:33,439 Speaker 1: but the place where the Cleveland Cavaliers play. Who knows 1312 01:05:33,480 --> 01:05:37,640 Speaker 1: whether or not the that fan base has not had 1313 01:05:37,680 --> 01:05:40,720 Speaker 1: an opportunity to cheer for anything serious since two thousand eighteen. 1314 01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:43,400 Speaker 1: That place is gonna be a buzz saw and they're 1315 01:05:43,440 --> 01:05:46,440 Speaker 1: a big athletic team that plays great defense. That's something 1316 01:05:46,480 --> 01:05:52,640 Speaker 1: that is extremely dependable. The Nets don't have anything that's dependable. 1317 01:05:53,680 --> 01:05:56,800 Speaker 1: You know, we talked about this. A lot jump shots 1318 01:05:57,000 --> 01:05:59,480 Speaker 1: go in or they don't. There's been a lot of 1319 01:05:59,520 --> 01:06:03,520 Speaker 1: games recently whre Kevin Durant has taken and made big shots, 1320 01:06:03,560 --> 01:06:06,520 Speaker 1: but also examples where he's taken and made they're taken 1321 01:06:06,520 --> 01:06:09,600 Speaker 1: and missed big shots. Because even though Kevin Durant's the 1322 01:06:09,600 --> 01:06:13,800 Speaker 1: best score ever, potentially it's if he gets to his 1323 01:06:13,840 --> 01:06:15,480 Speaker 1: spot and gets a shot that he likes it. It 1324 01:06:15,560 --> 01:06:19,320 Speaker 1: might go in of the time, but that means fifty 1325 01:06:19,760 --> 01:06:23,200 Speaker 1: at the time, it doesn't, And they don't have those 1326 01:06:23,520 --> 01:06:27,920 Speaker 1: instincts and habits on defense to where that's reliable for them. 1327 01:06:28,160 --> 01:06:29,760 Speaker 1: That's what I was just talking about. It's kind of 1328 01:06:29,800 --> 01:06:31,840 Speaker 1: more of a day in, day out thing. When they 1329 01:06:31,880 --> 01:06:33,560 Speaker 1: have it, they have it. When they don't, they don't. 1330 01:06:34,440 --> 01:06:38,720 Speaker 1: And so in those one game settings, the Nets are 1331 01:06:38,880 --> 01:06:43,520 Speaker 1: very vulnerable through a bad shooting night, They're very vulnerable 1332 01:06:43,840 --> 01:06:48,120 Speaker 1: to some things not going their way. Whereas Cleveland knows, 1333 01:06:48,720 --> 01:06:52,360 Speaker 1: if we don't play particularly well on offense, we're still 1334 01:06:52,360 --> 01:06:55,000 Speaker 1: going to have a chance to win because our defense 1335 01:06:55,200 --> 01:06:58,280 Speaker 1: is going to lock people up. We're gonna feed off 1336 01:06:58,320 --> 01:07:00,800 Speaker 1: of our home crowd, our effort gonna be there, and 1337 01:07:00,880 --> 01:07:03,960 Speaker 1: we have established defensive habits that we can lean back 1338 01:07:04,000 --> 01:07:06,760 Speaker 1: on in those environments. I know Cleveland's had bad stretches 1339 01:07:06,760 --> 01:07:08,080 Speaker 1: of defense, but a lot of it has to do 1340 01:07:08,120 --> 01:07:10,360 Speaker 1: with Jared Allen being out or Evan Mobley being out 1341 01:07:10,360 --> 01:07:12,640 Speaker 1: for various reasons over the course of the season. When 1342 01:07:12,680 --> 01:07:15,120 Speaker 1: they have their guys out there, when they go with 1343 01:07:15,160 --> 01:07:17,959 Speaker 1: mobile Allen and market him in that front line, they're 1344 01:07:18,000 --> 01:07:21,560 Speaker 1: a devastating defensive team and they cause a lot of 1345 01:07:21,640 --> 01:07:25,320 Speaker 1: serious problems with their length. And so again, would you 1346 01:07:25,400 --> 01:07:27,800 Speaker 1: pick Brooklyn and both of those matchups. Yes, I would 1347 01:07:27,840 --> 01:07:30,760 Speaker 1: pick Brooklyn to go into Charlotte and win that first 1348 01:07:30,760 --> 01:07:33,240 Speaker 1: playing game, and then I picked them. I think Cleveland 1349 01:07:33,280 --> 01:07:36,120 Speaker 1: obeied Atlanta, so I picked them to go into Cleveland 1350 01:07:36,160 --> 01:07:39,520 Speaker 1: and beat Cleveland. I would, But it's close, it's a 1351 01:07:39,680 --> 01:07:41,320 Speaker 1: it's a it's a touch and go type of thing, 1352 01:07:41,360 --> 01:07:44,720 Speaker 1: and that's the danger of playing this game. The Lakers 1353 01:07:44,720 --> 01:07:46,840 Speaker 1: played this game all season and it's gonna end up 1354 01:07:46,840 --> 01:07:49,560 Speaker 1: costing them a playoff birth. The Nets have played this 1355 01:07:49,600 --> 01:07:51,560 Speaker 1: game all season and now they're gonna end up having 1356 01:07:51,560 --> 01:07:54,480 Speaker 1: to win two single elimination games on the road against 1357 01:07:54,520 --> 01:07:59,000 Speaker 1: young and hungry athletic teams. So I there's I'm leaning 1358 01:07:59,040 --> 01:08:01,760 Speaker 1: towards going with the Bucks as my favorite in the 1359 01:08:01,760 --> 01:08:04,000 Speaker 1: East because of this recent slump for the Nets, and 1360 01:08:04,000 --> 01:08:08,280 Speaker 1: they're absolutely at risk of not getting an opportunity to 1361 01:08:08,320 --> 01:08:11,120 Speaker 1: play in a playoff series this year. Al Right, guys, 1362 01:08:11,120 --> 01:08:12,720 Speaker 1: before we get out of here, we're gonna bring Carson 1363 01:08:12,760 --> 01:08:17,599 Speaker 1: back for just a minute, YO, glad to be back. 1364 01:08:17,720 --> 01:08:21,120 Speaker 1: All right. So we've got a couple of things from 1365 01:08:21,160 --> 01:08:23,640 Speaker 1: the Twitter sphere, and the first one comes from the 1366 01:08:23,880 --> 01:08:28,439 Speaker 1: Honorable Calling Cowherd, related to an NBA storyline that has 1367 01:08:28,439 --> 01:08:31,559 Speaker 1: grabbed his attention. He says, I'll never get used to 1368 01:08:31,560 --> 01:08:35,200 Speaker 1: how much the NBA has normalized star missing games. Sorry, 1369 01:08:35,280 --> 01:08:38,280 Speaker 1: don't buy it's all injuries just shorten the regular season already. 1370 01:08:38,600 --> 01:08:41,880 Speaker 1: Let's get to games that matter. Jason, what do you 1371 01:08:41,920 --> 01:08:46,960 Speaker 1: think about that? Colin Coward is a wise man? This 1372 01:08:47,040 --> 01:08:50,080 Speaker 1: is actually something that I've been very passionate about for 1373 01:08:50,120 --> 01:08:52,720 Speaker 1: a long time, and it's just difficult to find time 1374 01:08:52,760 --> 01:08:55,040 Speaker 1: to talk about it during the time during the regular seasons, 1375 01:08:55,080 --> 01:08:57,680 Speaker 1: more of like a offseason. Type of topic in a 1376 01:08:57,680 --> 01:09:00,840 Speaker 1: lot of cases, but it's really this simple. You know, 1377 01:09:01,640 --> 01:09:04,280 Speaker 1: there's a lack of urgency to regular season NBA games, 1378 01:09:04,680 --> 01:09:09,200 Speaker 1: and NBA teams have realized that the best team usually 1379 01:09:09,240 --> 01:09:11,360 Speaker 1: wins in a seven game series, even if you don't 1380 01:09:11,360 --> 01:09:14,120 Speaker 1: have home court advantage. Most of the best players in 1381 01:09:14,120 --> 01:09:16,920 Speaker 1: the league thrive on the road because the growing up, 1382 01:09:16,960 --> 01:09:19,639 Speaker 1: they've always thrived off of the negative energy of of 1383 01:09:19,640 --> 01:09:22,160 Speaker 1: of road crowds, and so they like their chances in 1384 01:09:22,200 --> 01:09:25,040 Speaker 1: those environments. It's a big part of why Brooklyn has 1385 01:09:25,120 --> 01:09:27,639 Speaker 1: messed around all season. It's a big part of why 1386 01:09:27,680 --> 01:09:29,920 Speaker 1: they are where they're at in the standings. Team NBA 1387 01:09:30,000 --> 01:09:33,080 Speaker 1: teams are not scared of seating. They just aren't. NBA 1388 01:09:33,120 --> 01:09:34,720 Speaker 1: teams are not scared of that sort of thing. So 1389 01:09:35,080 --> 01:09:38,920 Speaker 1: I've I've thought long and hard about this. They rest 1390 01:09:39,000 --> 01:09:42,360 Speaker 1: players because they want to make sure that they are 1391 01:09:42,400 --> 01:09:45,160 Speaker 1: healthy in the long run, and little things like two 1392 01:09:45,240 --> 01:09:47,759 Speaker 1: days off here, three days off there go a long 1393 01:09:47,800 --> 01:09:51,439 Speaker 1: way towards recovering from a you know, knee tendonitis or 1394 01:09:51,439 --> 01:09:54,400 Speaker 1: an ankle sprain or a sore risk or whatever it 1395 01:09:54,479 --> 01:09:57,439 Speaker 1: might be. But what if those things were naturally baked 1396 01:09:57,479 --> 01:10:00,200 Speaker 1: into the season Now, I understand shortening the season is 1397 01:10:00,200 --> 01:10:02,080 Speaker 1: hard because of revenue, but you can make up for 1398 01:10:02,120 --> 01:10:04,479 Speaker 1: that in other ways. First of all, I'm a big 1399 01:10:04,479 --> 01:10:07,040 Speaker 1: believer in that if you can restore that urgency and 1400 01:10:07,080 --> 01:10:09,920 Speaker 1: if the Stars play every day, that will trickle down 1401 01:10:09,920 --> 01:10:13,080 Speaker 1: in revenue in a in a different way. But let's 1402 01:10:13,080 --> 01:10:16,200 Speaker 1: say you need that revenue and in order to convince 1403 01:10:16,200 --> 01:10:18,600 Speaker 1: the players in the in the owners to adopt a 1404 01:10:18,640 --> 01:10:21,360 Speaker 1: shorter regular season schedule. That's where things like the mid 1405 01:10:21,400 --> 01:10:23,680 Speaker 1: season tournament that you've heard about that have been brought up, 1406 01:10:23,960 --> 01:10:26,200 Speaker 1: or expanding the play in tournament things. I don't know what. 1407 01:10:26,800 --> 01:10:28,800 Speaker 1: I don't mean expanding it to more teams, I mean, 1408 01:10:28,800 --> 01:10:31,840 Speaker 1: but maybe taking it further up to where it's like 1409 01:10:31,920 --> 01:10:34,400 Speaker 1: you're doing a play in tournament that's you know that 1410 01:10:34,400 --> 01:10:37,160 Speaker 1: that's impacting higher seeds in some capacity. I'm not sure 1411 01:10:37,200 --> 01:10:39,280 Speaker 1: what that looks like, but they need to find a 1412 01:10:39,320 --> 01:10:42,960 Speaker 1: way to get NBA teams only playing three games per week. 1413 01:10:43,080 --> 01:10:47,080 Speaker 1: To me, that's vital. It's these two it's back to backs, 1414 01:10:47,080 --> 01:10:49,880 Speaker 1: the four games in five nights, the five games and 1415 01:10:49,960 --> 01:10:52,400 Speaker 1: seven nights or whatever, I five games at eight nights. 1416 01:10:52,439 --> 01:10:55,120 Speaker 1: That kind of thing is what wears down these teams. 1417 01:10:55,320 --> 01:10:57,400 Speaker 1: If it had more of an NFL type of field, 1418 01:10:57,760 --> 01:11:01,799 Speaker 1: where there was always a ton of high leverage, high 1419 01:11:02,160 --> 01:11:05,760 Speaker 1: high important games on Sunday and then maybe games on 1420 01:11:05,800 --> 01:11:09,640 Speaker 1: Tuesday and Thursday, but everybody had Friday Saturday off, or 1421 01:11:09,680 --> 01:11:11,960 Speaker 1: everybody had at least a two day off stretch in 1422 01:11:12,040 --> 01:11:15,439 Speaker 1: every single week, then you wouldn't have as many load 1423 01:11:15,520 --> 01:11:19,160 Speaker 1: management nights. Why because why would you load manage a 1424 01:11:19,280 --> 01:11:21,960 Speaker 1: star if you know he's gonna get two days off 1425 01:11:22,040 --> 01:11:25,240 Speaker 1: every single week where he can rest up and there 1426 01:11:25,400 --> 01:11:27,439 Speaker 1: is there are no back to backs in that scenario, 1427 01:11:27,479 --> 01:11:28,960 Speaker 1: I think you'd have to shorten the season down to 1428 01:11:29,000 --> 01:11:32,280 Speaker 1: about sixty six games to pull this off. But I'm 1429 01:11:32,280 --> 01:11:34,920 Speaker 1: a huge believer in shortening the season, and I don't 1430 01:11:34,960 --> 01:11:37,280 Speaker 1: buy the excuse that will cost them money. Even if 1431 01:11:37,439 --> 01:11:39,360 Speaker 1: if it costs them money in the short run, you 1432 01:11:39,400 --> 01:11:41,439 Speaker 1: have to think about the long term success of the 1433 01:11:41,520 --> 01:11:45,000 Speaker 1: league and restoring urgency and taking away some of the 1434 01:11:45,000 --> 01:11:47,760 Speaker 1: health concerns is the easiest path to getting stars back 1435 01:11:47,760 --> 01:11:50,040 Speaker 1: into the game, and Colin is right. There have been 1436 01:11:50,280 --> 01:11:53,880 Speaker 1: a ridiculous amount of nationally televised games and things along 1437 01:11:53,920 --> 01:11:56,080 Speaker 1: those lines that have been ruined this year by stars 1438 01:11:56,120 --> 01:11:58,479 Speaker 1: missing games. It is a huge problem. I don't care 1439 01:11:58,520 --> 01:12:00,679 Speaker 1: if there's eighty two games if this ours are playing 1440 01:12:00,680 --> 01:12:04,840 Speaker 1: at them. M hmm, yeah, big boss Man Colin right 1441 01:12:04,880 --> 01:12:06,800 Speaker 1: on the money there, and I think you're totally right 1442 01:12:06,800 --> 01:12:09,240 Speaker 1: in terms of improving the quality of the product. The 1443 01:12:09,320 --> 01:12:12,400 Speaker 1: one sticking point for me is always as a nerd 1444 01:12:12,439 --> 01:12:14,600 Speaker 1: of the history of the game, not having the a 1445 01:12:14,720 --> 01:12:18,000 Speaker 1: two game seasons, how that impacts totals. That that bothers 1446 01:12:18,040 --> 01:12:20,439 Speaker 1: me a little bit, but I think that it is 1447 01:12:20,479 --> 01:12:23,760 Speaker 1: outweighed by the night Tonight benefit. What do you think, Like, 1448 01:12:23,840 --> 01:12:27,880 Speaker 1: does that matter to you at all? I I understand 1449 01:12:27,960 --> 01:12:29,920 Speaker 1: the thought process there. The reason why it doesn't matter 1450 01:12:29,960 --> 01:12:33,160 Speaker 1: to me is the game's always changing, Like how how 1451 01:12:33,200 --> 01:12:37,600 Speaker 1: has the three point shot effected scoring relative to early guys? 1452 01:12:37,640 --> 01:12:40,240 Speaker 1: Like if Kareem played today, he's definitely shooting threes because 1453 01:12:40,240 --> 01:12:41,880 Speaker 1: he's one of the best players ever. He's probably gonna 1454 01:12:41,880 --> 01:12:44,640 Speaker 1: work on threes, you know, like the were we we 1455 01:12:44,760 --> 01:12:47,479 Speaker 1: count Bill Russell is an eleven time champion, and the 1456 01:12:47,560 --> 01:12:49,800 Speaker 1: dude won all those championships and in a league that 1457 01:12:49,880 --> 01:12:53,280 Speaker 1: had eight teams, like even even Michael Jordan's with the 1458 01:12:53,320 --> 01:12:55,920 Speaker 1: six titles he won came during the era of expansion 1459 01:12:55,920 --> 01:12:58,120 Speaker 1: when the league was kind of watered down with talent, 1460 01:12:58,320 --> 01:13:02,840 Speaker 1: and it was just easy to put together a dominant 1461 01:13:02,840 --> 01:13:04,840 Speaker 1: basketball team in that era if you could get a 1462 01:13:04,840 --> 01:13:06,720 Speaker 1: handful of good players, just because the talent was all 1463 01:13:06,760 --> 01:13:10,040 Speaker 1: spread out. So, like, the league is just inherently different. 1464 01:13:10,800 --> 01:13:14,400 Speaker 1: And I I like Seth Curry. Steph Curry has the 1465 01:13:14,479 --> 01:13:17,040 Speaker 1: NBA three point record and he's gonna hold it for 1466 01:13:17,080 --> 01:13:19,640 Speaker 1: a long time. But it's a record that's almost guaranteed 1467 01:13:19,680 --> 01:13:23,400 Speaker 1: to break because in the early stretches of Steph's career, 1468 01:13:23,960 --> 01:13:26,280 Speaker 1: he didn't attempt as many threes as he's attempting. Now 1469 01:13:26,560 --> 01:13:28,400 Speaker 1: there's gonna be some guy that comes in the league 1470 01:13:28,400 --> 01:13:31,240 Speaker 1: it attempts like fourteen threes per game for like eighteen years, 1471 01:13:31,240 --> 01:13:33,200 Speaker 1: and he's gonna break that record. So, like, as much 1472 01:13:33,240 --> 01:13:35,760 Speaker 1: as I agree with you, I'm a huge buff, like 1473 01:13:35,840 --> 01:13:38,080 Speaker 1: historian buff when it comes to the NBA as well. 1474 01:13:38,520 --> 01:13:41,000 Speaker 1: I read books about that stuff. It's one of my 1475 01:13:41,080 --> 01:13:43,800 Speaker 1: favorite things to do in my free time. But like, 1476 01:13:44,320 --> 01:13:46,840 Speaker 1: I think you have to acknowledge that the league just 1477 01:13:46,920 --> 01:13:51,920 Speaker 1: changes as time goes on. Alright, well, Jason, we cannot 1478 01:13:51,960 --> 01:13:55,160 Speaker 1: wrap up today without sending you out the door with 1479 01:13:55,360 --> 01:14:00,639 Speaker 1: just an egregious Russ. Well, it's about Russ comes from 1480 01:14:00,760 --> 01:14:04,599 Speaker 1: Frank Vogel, all right. Here it is, He's doing everything 1481 01:14:04,640 --> 01:14:08,760 Speaker 1: he can. I'm proud of Russ. How does that make 1482 01:14:08,800 --> 01:14:15,240 Speaker 1: you feel, Jason? It's kid gloves man. The way that 1483 01:14:18,000 --> 01:14:21,040 Speaker 1: the whole thing that came down centering around the death 1484 01:14:21,040 --> 01:14:25,719 Speaker 1: threats and the tweets that the wife that Russ's wife 1485 01:14:25,720 --> 01:14:29,320 Speaker 1: put out that one day, kind of it all was 1486 01:14:29,439 --> 01:14:32,160 Speaker 1: part of this like larger mission to twist the narrative 1487 01:14:32,200 --> 01:14:35,439 Speaker 1: around what happened to Russ into making him a victim. 1488 01:14:35,520 --> 01:14:37,160 Speaker 1: And I don't want to get into the weeds too 1489 01:14:37,200 --> 01:14:41,160 Speaker 1: much there because it's something that I disagree with. The 1490 01:14:41,200 --> 01:14:44,280 Speaker 1: stuff that Russ deals with as an NBA star is 1491 01:14:44,320 --> 01:14:47,280 Speaker 1: identical to the stuff that every other nbas NBA star 1492 01:14:47,400 --> 01:14:51,120 Speaker 1: deals with. The differences is that Russ actively makes it 1493 01:14:51,200 --> 01:14:53,840 Speaker 1: worse on himself with the things that he says. And 1494 01:14:53,920 --> 01:14:56,920 Speaker 1: here you go, like Frank Vogel, It's like he Frank 1495 01:14:56,960 --> 01:14:59,120 Speaker 1: Vogel is gonna handle him with kid gloves because Russ 1496 01:14:59,120 --> 01:15:00,920 Speaker 1: has made it clear that he thinks he's a victim 1497 01:15:00,920 --> 01:15:03,280 Speaker 1: and every but at this point too, it's like there's 1498 01:15:03,280 --> 01:15:06,400 Speaker 1: no point in continuing to burn that bridge when you 1499 01:15:06,439 --> 01:15:08,880 Speaker 1: know you're trading him this offseason anyway, you know what 1500 01:15:08,920 --> 01:15:12,519 Speaker 1: I mean. But I I just I just get frustrated 1501 01:15:12,560 --> 01:15:15,960 Speaker 1: because it's like there's not enough being real about what's 1502 01:15:16,000 --> 01:15:18,840 Speaker 1: going on with Russ, and the reality of what's going 1503 01:15:18,880 --> 01:15:22,800 Speaker 1: on with Russ is he's got a ton of apologists 1504 01:15:22,840 --> 01:15:24,880 Speaker 1: that always point to his box score numbers, but the 1505 01:15:24,920 --> 01:15:27,640 Speaker 1: reality is that he's had a bad season and the 1506 01:15:27,680 --> 01:15:31,720 Speaker 1: trade absolutely decimated the team of talent. It was an 1507 01:15:31,760 --> 01:15:35,439 Speaker 1: utter disaster. And while he has played poorly, all he's 1508 01:15:35,479 --> 01:15:38,519 Speaker 1: done is further play into the fact that he's a 1509 01:15:38,600 --> 01:15:40,479 Speaker 1: victim and that it's not his fault. There's been no 1510 01:15:40,560 --> 01:15:44,479 Speaker 1: accepting a personal responsibility, and and I think the whole 1511 01:15:44,520 --> 01:15:46,200 Speaker 1: situation just kind of bothers me. Like I said, I'm 1512 01:15:46,200 --> 01:15:49,200 Speaker 1: just ready for it to be over. What I would 1513 01:15:49,200 --> 01:15:51,439 Speaker 1: love to see is we know that Lebron is the 1514 01:15:51,479 --> 01:15:55,760 Speaker 1: master of some of the you know, understated slights and 1515 01:15:55,840 --> 01:15:58,439 Speaker 1: some of the manipulation with media and whatnot. I would 1516 01:15:58,479 --> 01:16:01,000 Speaker 1: love to hear him just once, maybe after the season, 1517 01:16:01,040 --> 01:16:04,760 Speaker 1: slip in a West brick. You know, it doesn't seem intentional, 1518 01:16:05,720 --> 01:16:08,760 Speaker 1: it slips one in there because the experiment is now over. 1519 01:16:08,760 --> 01:16:10,720 Speaker 1: But yeah, that's all I got for you. Figured we 1520 01:16:10,760 --> 01:16:14,519 Speaker 1: would fuel the fire a little bit there. Alright, Carson, 1521 01:16:14,560 --> 01:16:16,599 Speaker 1: I appreciate you may we'll see you next time. Yeah, 1522 01:16:16,600 --> 01:16:19,040 Speaker 1: I was. I am really curious to see what happens 1523 01:16:19,040 --> 01:16:21,479 Speaker 1: over the course of then this summer, just some of 1524 01:16:21,479 --> 01:16:23,840 Speaker 1: the details that come out. You know, just you saw 1525 01:16:23,880 --> 01:16:25,840 Speaker 1: all the leaks that came out around the All Star break. 1526 01:16:25,840 --> 01:16:28,960 Speaker 1: It's gonna be a disastrous version of that. And also, 1527 01:16:29,080 --> 01:16:32,280 Speaker 1: Lebron loves to stay the center of attention. I wouldn't 1528 01:16:32,280 --> 01:16:34,120 Speaker 1: be surprised if a bunch of leaks come from him 1529 01:16:34,200 --> 01:16:36,759 Speaker 1: during the playoff run. It'll be like Janice has forty 1530 01:16:36,800 --> 01:16:39,040 Speaker 1: two and gained three of his conference finals. But here 1531 01:16:39,080 --> 01:16:42,200 Speaker 1: comes a report from you know, through the grape vine 1532 01:16:42,200 --> 01:16:44,160 Speaker 1: that Lebron's piste off about this or that. Like that's 1533 01:16:44,160 --> 01:16:46,360 Speaker 1: just kind of classic Lebron stuff too. Al Right, guys, 1534 01:16:46,360 --> 01:16:48,120 Speaker 1: that's all we have for tonight. We will be back 1535 01:16:48,280 --> 01:16:52,160 Speaker 1: Tuesday after the Lakers Sons game. As always, we appreciate 1536 01:16:52,200 --> 01:16:53,600 Speaker 1: your support and we will see you guys in a 1537 01:16:53,600 --> 01:17:06,120 Speaker 1: couple of days. The volume